‘Embracing the magic’

With the focus of empowerment and leadership in mind, Eddie Slowikowski is the ultimate winner. Now known as a motivational speaker, he touches the hearts of many with his bubbly personality and energetic dance moves.

On Tuesday, April 22, he performed in front of two audiences in the theatre with hopes to motivate students to lead their own lives and not let the past define them.

At first looking forward to just getting out of class to yet another assembly, junior Victoria Saing said it was really unexpected because he did different things; he thought the way she did.

“Finally someone understood.”

Slowikowski was not always known as an international speaker/trainer. He used to be a world-class runner. He represented the United States at the 1987 Pan Am games, the 1990 USA track and field team in London, as well as the 1992 Olympic trials. He was also inducted into Loyola Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

He welcomes everybody he speaks to into his life and his mind, providing the audience with an insight on who he is with a mixture of heartbreaking and heartwarming stories of his childhood.

He teaches the significance of everyone’s past in their daily life with the assurance that it does not define who we are.
He goes on to explain that the pain in life can only make us better people.

His goal is to take the audience on a roller coaster ride for the realization that, “It’s all about the journey on the way to your dreams.”

“I was like, I get that!” junior Nancie Tapo said. “He was really relatable because no matter how bad it all seems everyone has something good in life.”

He continues with the importance of love, demonstrating his version of a teenage love story in his own way.
“It impacted me when he talked about high school relationships. It made me more mature to where little issues don’t bother me as much,” senior Anthony Nichols said.

With the understanding of what it is like to really care how others see you, Slowikowski has said that people who are truly happy with themselves have no need to bring others down.

“Love is not something you fall in and out of,” Slowikowski said.

“Love is a choice; you choose who you fall in love with.”

Including yourself.

Slowikowski explained how amazed he is by how much we hold ourselves back, and that sometimes magical things do happen, not every day, but to embrace them when they do, and students understood this.

“Don’t be stuck up, be more lively,” sophomore James Vanley said. “Take life lightly but still pursue your dreams.”

The key, according to Slowikowski and many who saw him is: do you believe in you?