Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that allows a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; courage. It's a quality that not everyone possesses. Firefighters are some of the bravest people you will ever meet. Risking your life for someone you don't know is truly courageous. But when disaster strikes, firefighters aren't the only ones who are brave. Louis Mulkey was a firefighter in Charleston, South Carolina. He was also an assistant basketball and football coach for Summerville High School. Mulkey loved being a firefighter and a coach. The kids he coached loved him too. Mulkey had coached the same players since middle school and promised them they would one day win the state championship before they graduated. He was the best coach a child could ask for, he was enthusiastic, full of energy and, above all, he believed in his players. On June 18, 2007, he was called to a fire at a furniture store. Mulkey and several other men entered the store. The fire quickly got out of control and then the roof collapsed. Mulkey was trapped in the store with no way out. Suddenly there was a distress call coming over the radio. It was Louis Mulkey and with his last words he said, "Tell my wife... that I love you." He died at the age of thirty-four. Eight other firefighters also died in the fire, making it the worst tragedy for firefighters since 9/11. Mulkey left behind a wife, a family and a group of children who had just lost a father figure. The basketball team was mourning the death of their coach at the start of the season. But they were on a mission; they would win the state championship just like Mulkey promised. They decided as a team that the season was going to be… middle of paper… er, they were going to do it. They never forgot their coach. After the game the team posed for a photo with Mulkey's wife and the helmet made for them by the firefighters. At 1 a.m. on the drive home, the team stopped at the cemetery where Mulkey was buried to show him the state trophy. Some players even left their medals on his grave. Courage is being fearless and courageous in a difficult situation. Louis Mulkey knew what he was doing when he came across that fire. He knew all the risks involved. But he did it anyway because it was his job and he showed no fear while doing it. He left a basketball team shell-shocked; a team that came together under terrible circumstances. All they had to do was give up after everything they had been through. Instead, they showed courage and achieved what could be the greatest moment of their lives; win a state championship.