As a child, Olympian figure skater and sports broadcaster Scott Scovell Hamilton (1958-) was unable to absorb nutrients into his body and the illness stunted his growth. The experience taught him about tenacity and self-reliance. It made him a champion.

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude," he once said.

Hamilton was born on this day in Bowling Greens, Ohio. With determination and passion, showmanship and dedication, he became an eight-time world champion (1981-89) who won the gold medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics. He called winning "the greatest feeling in the world."

In 1997, Hamilton was diagnosed with testicular cancer and battled the disease to remission. He has become an advocate for early detection and an inspirational survivor. The remarkable athlete heads the Scott Hamilton Cancer Alliance for Research and Survivorship (CARES), to help others living with the disease with education and awareness.

"The key to a long and happy life is, at times, a very short-term memory," he observed. "Out with the bad and hang on to the good."

Laughter cures.