Sport Thrills #13

Dick Cole, sidelined with a bum knee, watches helplessly as his team, Farr, struggles against Buckler Military Academy. When he finally returns to the game, his frustration boils over after a controversial foul call, leading to a heated exchange with the referee that shocks everyone—including himself.

Sam Langford, born in Nova Scotia and raised in Boston, overcomes early hardship and a deteriorating eyesight to become a legendary fighter, rising through the ranks with unmatched determination. Despite losing his sight in one eye and facing discrimination, he continues to fight with courage and skill, even defeating Mexico’s champion in a night bout—though the fight was moved to daylight to exploit his blindness. Years later, as a blind man in Harlem, he remains sharp, resilient, and unbroken, living with quiet dignity and pride in his storied past.

Young Jimmy McLane, a boy from Akron, Ohio, begins learning to swim at nearly eleven with the help of his coach, Mr. Minto, and quickly shows promise despite early doubts. After years of training, he shocks the swimming world by winning a major race at just thirteen, then stunning everyone by breaking the world mile record in a grueling four-mile competition, proving himself a rising star in the sport.

A young woman recounts her harrowing encounter with a wild Alaskan brown bear during a solo hike, describing the animal’s terrifying combination of size, speed, and cunning as she narrowly escapes its pursuit. The story presents a chilling, firsthand account of survival against one of nature’s most formidable predators.

Ronald Kane and Amos Vicker compete in a high-stakes race through the treacherous waters of Florida’s Everglades, where dangerous obstacles and wild wildlife test their skill and nerve. As Kane battles both the unforgiving swamp and a venomous water moccasin, he pushes through pain and disorientation to finish the race, only to discover the mysterious race organizer is a man he’s long been trying to beat.

A young woman navigates the perilous slopes of a steep alpine trail, where a single misstep could send her crashing into jagged rocks, while the ever-present threat of avalanches and icy crevasses looms over glacier skiing. The story highlights the extreme dangers faced by skiers and jumpers, from gusting winds that can throw off balance to the sheer nerve required to hurl oneself into space.