" Whatever I do I'm going to give it my all. Expect nothing and appreciate everything."
Words to live by.
These are Shaun’s words and they are exactly what he lives by. Shaun Young is Philadelphia's greatest fan. Last summer, in church, we met Shaun in full on face paint and Eagles gear, for a Brian Dawkins fellowship event. We quickly learned his commitment and heart for others.
After following his social media and getting to know the motivation behind the fan, we had to learn more. How is every Shaun post so deeply connecting? How is this man so in touch with the heart of everyone he meets? His ways seemed magic. We asked him for an interview to learn more. In summary, sports are the way to the heart and Shaun has an open-door policy. Sports helped to heal and strengthen his life and he aims to do that for as many people as he can.
Shaun played all sports since he was five; basketball was a favorite game, but he loved football and all sports really, game week left you hungry for more. At six he experienced and went through a divorce and received great personal inspiration and support through sports. You are the greatest Philly fan, we told him, he was humbled and said he's been a Philly fan his whole life. Over and over through the interview he expressed gratitude and it's key to his happiness. He was very grateful to be able to hold seats at the vet since '93 and in the Linc since the move in 2003.
Shaun takes time to use sports to inspire others. He talks to kids about peer pressure, visits hospitals, schools, and any events that he's called. Many people thank Shaun for his inspiration. There have been many come forward thanking him for his outreach of being a positive light with such impact. His motivation has been accredited to saving kid's lives from drugs. Shaun's story shows that a simple conversation and sharing your vulnerable side, can really help someone on the brink. He's a man of second chances and believes in encouraging that. Shaun’s positivity is strong. On Hall of Fame weekend, Shaun visited the Ronald McDonald House in Canton OH to make others homemade breakfast. This fan goes above and beyond to make a difference. He grew up playing basketball and absolutely loving football. He really uses sports to relate to others and connect. Shaun believes we can each make a difference even if it's a simple hello or a five-minute conversation offering peace and kindness to someone passing by. His conversations make change, life change, game change.
"You saved my life from drugs." Moving words shared with Shaun that he will remember for life. And if that doesn’t rock your mindset, ask him to tell you the grocery store story. One that will sit with him forever , and a great one at that. A young girl about 16 years old was battling cancer; it was bleak ; he told her "YOU GOT THIS." Years later, Shaun was at the grocery store and a parent came up to him and said hello, Shaun didn’t recognize the parent. It had been years. They said, but we remember you, you saved our daughter! She's 23 years old now and has her own daughter. You told her you got this, and she hung on those words and made it through. "In fact, she had "YOU GOT THIS." tattooed onto her wrist. Thank you so much for your time and love. We love you and appreciate you", they told him and asked for a hug. Of course, he obliged; he was so honored, and blown away such a beautiful story. He was just so grateful to experience the serendipity coming full circle and happy to take his time to share it with us.
Many will tell you that gratitude attitude will take you far; when it came to Minnesota, out of thousands, Shaun was randomly picked as the Eagles lottery winner and was offered the chance to buy two Superbowl tickets at face value to attend the Superbowl game in Minnesota. He sure did and had the greatest time. Go BIRDS - Forever grateful. A few years ago, a group of fans in nearby seats gifted Shaun a custom replica Superbowl ring with his name, including a BLEED GREEN4LIFE inscription. What a story. Thank you for being a great fan, friend to all, inspiration, and supportive leader in the Philadelphia community. Shaun, we commend your light, love, positivity, and encouragement. Thank you for being a true gift to our community and the world. Shaun is available to collab for events. We have been missing football games and are happy to see Shaun's daily posts on social media keeping the momentum going. Follow him on social media and next time you're going through the Philadelphia airport, for sure go say hello. Salute, Shaun Young, Eagles Fans, and Philadelphia.
-PLATINUM INSIDER BY KIA LYONS.