by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
Several of the truly special moments from the Olympic games had little to do with competition and may even give non-athletes examples of how to iron out the problems in their hectic professional lives.
All of the winners talked about how hard they work, their teammates, what great coaches they have and the honor of representing their nation, State Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Bell told more than 40 members of the Christian Legal Society during their Friday meeting at Drayton’s in the Seminole Club.
“A few of them show extreme humility and give thanks to God,” he added.
Three athletes in particular went far beyond the norm, Bell said.
They were Australian swimmer Craig Stevens, who gave up a spot to countryman Ian Thorpe; Michael Phelps, who gave up one of his spots so Ian Crocker could swim; and sprinter Justin Gatlin, from Pensacola, who adjusted his speed at the end of the 200-yard run so that Americans could finish one, two, three.
Each of those competitors, said Bell, “cared about those around them, not just themselves.”
Bell was a board-certified real estate attorney before serving for 12 years as a trial judge in the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida. He applied for a seat on the court twice: when Major Harding retired and, a few months later, when Leander Shaw stepped down.
He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. Jeb Bush and took office on Jan. 7.
Bell thanked the local CLS, “one of the most dynamic chapters in Florida,” for being an encouragement to him throughout his life. He, too, had been active in the CLS in Pensacola and on the national level.
“You have been doing this nearly 20 years now,” he said. “I want to praise you for that commitment to stay together that long and to continue to encourage each other.”