GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO)-- Don Meyer is the survivor of more than one obstacle in life.

In 2008, Meyer was severely injured in head-on collision with a semi-truck, and later found out he had inoperable cancer.
That was all before he returned to coaching basketball at Northern State University (S.D.) and set the then-record for all-time career wins in NCAA history.

Meyer retired in 2010, but he continues to follow his passion of teaching and he does so in the form of public speaking. On Friday, the 10 teams of 2012 Junior College World Series gathered at the JUCO Banquet to listen to the wise words Meyer had to offer.

"The first step of winning a championship," Meyer told the room full of players, "is get to the tournament. Next step: forget that getting here was a big deal."

Along with a couple jokes, Meyer offered his advice to the players. "Your example is not the main thing in influencing people," he said, "it's the only thing."