When Tim Tebow approached home plate on Thursday, the former NFL quarterback smacked a three-run homer.
Why was this significant? Because Tebow is now playing in AA class baseball, the second-highest minor league division — and this was his first at-bat.
If this story sounds familiar, it’s because he also hit a homer on his very first pitch in professional baseball in 2016. The following year, he did the exact same thing when he was promoted to a higher division.
That’s the thing about Tim Tebow: The 30-year-old athlete knows how to make a splash.
Now Tebow has announced an upcoming book: This Is the Day, which will be released in September. The tagline reads “Reclaim your dream. Ignite your passion. Live your purpose.”
The book is Tebow’s most personal one yet. He discusses the ups and downs of his baseball career, his reaction to the news of his father’s Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis and other personal anecdotes about his life in the public eye.
Over the years, PEOPLE has spent a lot of time with Tebow — on the golf course, in his home, even on a trip to Haiti. During every interview, Tebow has been very clear about his life’s purpose.
“It’s not sports,” he told PEOPLE at his 2018 Celebrity Golf tournament. “My main purpose is not about football or baseball, or anything like that. It’s about helping others. It’s about finding the people who need hope.”
RELATED VIDEO: Tim Tebow Opens Up About His Father’s Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Tebow, an outspoken Christian, says that his faith drives him to help others.
“That’s my calling,” he says. “I believe I’m doing what God wants me to do — to serve those who may not have a lot of people who are serving them.”
Living the Single Life
Tebow is still single, which has become a running joke during every interview he ever gives with PEOPLE.
“Yes, I’m single,” he says with a laugh when PEOPLE asks the inevitable question on the golf course. “When that changes, you’ll be the first to know. I wish I had other news for you, but I don’t. I’d love to be with someone.”
So what’s the plan when Tebow finally settles down?
“I want to adopt so badly,” the former NFL star told PEOPLE last year. “I can’t wait. It’s definitely something I see in my future.”
“You know what I think would be awesome? If I could adopt a kid from every continent. I think that would be a pretty cool goal,” he says. “I want to sit around the dinner table every night and see kids from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, right here in the States. How cool would that be? It’s one of my favorite things to dream about.”
Charitable Works
Today, Tebow is focusing on the ongoing charitable work of the Tim Tebow Foundation. Last month, the foundation threw its fourth successful Night to Shine, a worldwide prom for people with special needs.
The rise of Night to Shine has been meteoric. In 2015, there were 44 simultaneous prom events for 7,000 people with special needs. This year, there were 540 simultaneous events on six continents. More than 90,000 honored guests got to experience the prom.
“Of course I want to succeed in baseball,” Tebow tells PEOPLE, “but it doesn’t mean anything if I’m not ultimately doing something greater than myself. Our lives should be about bringing faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.”
Source:-people
