You gotta hand it to me folks, I can spot a "special" person a mile away lol
I'm working at the moment and no time to really comment so enjoy the read :-)
EXCLUSIVE: COLLINGWOOD footballer Harry O'Brien wants to meet Barack Obama during his Australian visit next month, and is assembling a powerful lobby group.
Brazilian-born O'Brien has written to the AFL to try to arrange a meeting with the US president, prompting chief executive Andrew Demetriou to raise the request with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
O'Brien has also enlisted the support and reach of Collingwood president and media heavyweight Eddie McGuire.
After Mr Demetriou told Mr Rudd a precis of the O'Brien story during the Collingwood-Essendon game at the MCG on Anzac Day, Mr Rudd said: "I'd like to meet him."
The O'Brien letter, seen by the Herald Sun, says:
"I desire to meet individuals who share similar visions and crusades as myself so that I can feed off their energy and continue to drive myself towards the direction of giving hope to all people."For me, this is much more than a meet-and-greet where I would then be able to walk away with a story to share with my grandchildren about the day I met with President Obama.
"This is about the voice of the children's cries I still hear from the HIV-infected orphans I cared for in Africa, the millions of women violently abused throughout Australia, depressed men who see no other option but to end their lives through their own hands, indigenous youth following a chain of dysfunction, forgotten homeless mental health sufferers throughout Australia, and immigrants to Australia who have trouble integrating into Australian culture. (His stepfather took his own life in Perth in 2009).
"This is my way of life. That is why I would love to get the opportunity to represent not only the AFL and the Collingwood Football Club, but all the other affiliations I have made in my short time and will continue to make, in meeting the US president."
O'Brien, who came to Australia as a three-year-old, is known for his dashing style as a Collingwood defender and his keen social awareness.
He carries a tattoo of "Audacity of Hope" on his left arm and friends say he feels a bond with the US president, given their African fathers and upbringings in broken families.
O'Brien, 23, was unavailable to the Herald Sun this week.
Mr Demetriou said: "Yes, I received a letter from Harry O'Brien. I've made Harry's request known to the Federal Government and, hopefully, it can happen."
O'Brien is a remarkable figure in AFL player ranks.
He is the AFL's multicultural ambassador and an ambassador for the Burnet Institute, which allows him to travel to Mozambique, South Africa and the Congo to spread their stories to the world.
His creed is "Live for Hope".
O'Brien was recruited from Claremont in Perth as a rookie and has played 91 games in six seasons with the Magpies.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/collingwood-footballer-harry-obrien-wants-to-meet-president-obama/story-e6frf7jo-1225863362749
