Do Your Best

Share Negus Kloehn's story of how he overcame many obstacles presented to him daily. Growing up in a remote area of Africa, Gambella, Ethiopia, Negus learned to live off the land, raised his younger brother and sister, and never gave up. Negus's early years illustrate living in a one-room hut with no water or electricity. Yet he found one love, playing soccer. Negus explains how in Africa it is common to make balls out of plastic bags and twine, and there are no nets, rather they mark boundaries with stones. Early on, Negus wanted to change this to play more soccer. Understand how his grandmother's extreme actions changed the course of his life forever.

Negus and sister, Elilta, went to two orphanages and were adopted by a single woman. Travel to America for the first time with Negus and learn how he navigated early on in Vail, Colorado. Step into his life as he becomes a strong confident athlete who continues his love of soccer and is taught rules of the game from all coaches.

As Negus's story unfolds, experience what it feels like to have a medical condition you cannot control, yet it controls you. As Negus struggles with epilepsy, he breaks down many stereotypes and is able to play sports and turn his epilepsy into an interesting dilemma which supports his new view of handling any obstacle thrown his way.

Negus has a dream which he again shared two weeks before his death. He wants to become a professional soccer player and distribute nets and balls to Africa. Negus's dream lives on through his nonprofit organization, Save the Ball, Soccer for Africa, Inc.

Negus will show you how the saying he said often can be a part of your vocabulary too: "Do Your Best!"