It’s that time of year again. As we enter into the summer months, TV’s hit dramas like This is Us, and Grey’s Anatomy take a hiatus and our screens are replaced with competition at its finest. America’s Got Talent, Bachelor in Paradise and American Ninja Warrior are all in the lineup, but nothing has stood the test of time like Dancing With the Stars.
The show kicked off its 24th season in March with its 400th episode, and a boat-load of celebs that cross multiple generations.
Each week, celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners compete to win over the judges and earn the votes of viewers at home. These novice dancers spend the weeks practicing their new moves, then they salsa, they samba and they cha cha their way to America’s hearts on the big stage.
Monday night was a doozy as the celebrities opened up about their “Most Memorable Year,” and choreographed a dance to portray it.
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles reflected on her youth, and the years she spent “hungry and afraid” before being adopted by her grandparents. Nancy Kerrigan shared her heartbreak of suffering six miscarriages in eight years at the height of her career. With each performance, the judges were left in tears along with the rest of us at home. But no performance was more moving and full of faith than that of Mr. T.
The notable actor and former pro-wrestler declared 1995 as his “most memorable year.” It was the year he was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and turned to God to fight the battle of his life.
“Back in the day, I had money, cars. I had achieved what I wanted to achieve, and then everything really stopped,” Mr. T said in the confessional leading up to his dance. “I called on God. I said, ‘God, give me strength to do your will.’”
He went through chemo and radiation only to learn six months later that the cancer was back.
“That’s when it really hit me: What’s really real? My faith in God, that was real, because only God could save me.”