Evel Knievel
(1938 – 2007)
“There is no king, no prince, no president, no athlete … nobody that has lived a better life than me.”

I have an autographed picture of Evel making his famous jump at Wembley Stadium hanging in my office. What he symbolizes to me was best said in a famous quote from Teddy Roosevelt.

Teddy Roosevelt – To the Man in the Arena

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Happy Landings Evel!

Gizmodo had a nice recap you can read here.