Who do you admire the most in the world, and why?

My two grandfathers. Times were tough when they grew up, and they did the very best they could with what they had for their families. Grafted all day out on farms and any other jobs they could get, and their families never wanted for anything. My father also. But does this kind of thing not go without saying? Don't think this thread is meant for it.

In relation to music, Damon Albarn. Through him, I've gotten into lots of different genre's of music I would never listened to otherwise. In an era when everyone in mainstream music is in it for the fame and money and chart positions and how many records they sell, all he is concerned about is the music. Constantly reinvents himself and delves into and fuses many many genre's, all to critical acclaim. He is everything the music industry should be about. A really humble guy also.

In politics/political struggles, Bobby Sands. Whatever you may think of him or his reason for doing what he did, or whether he was right or wrong, he deserves at least everyone's respect in my opinion. Stared death in the eye and never once faltered. And in his mind, all in the name of Ireland. Very courageous man and his sacrifice has to be admired. Also a very nice man from what I'm led to believe, and always tried to extent the hand of friendship to unionists for most of his life.

In sport, John Treacy. For me, distance running is the ultimate test of character and mental fortitude. It takes real heart to go through the pain barrier, and then to continue on and on relentlessly at the highest level. He often ran himself to the point where he could no longer stand. But what he did in the Olympics of 1984 is staggering in my opinion. Ran two 10,000 meter races and gave it his all, finished 9th in the sweltering heat. Most people would be shattered after that. Then took on his first ever marathon a few days later and finished 2nd, again in excruciating heat, beating the then Olympic record (the winner also beat it obviously). But it was the nature in how he did it. After running two 10,000 meter races and nearly a full marathon in such heat, where everybody was dropping off and fatiguing, Treacy started to go up through the gears and got quicker, and went from 6th to 2nd in the last mile or two, overtaking a British athlete on the home straight. It was astonishing and I can only imagine the pain he put himself through. Treacy had a will of cast iron steel and always wore his heart on his sleeve. The magnitude of the feat he pulled off that day is unprecedented in Irish sport imo, even to this very day, and is very very underappreciated