When Steve Smith goes out for a walk, he has the most spectacular view -- of Earth.

Smith is an astronaut who has performed four space walks to service the Hubble Telescope. He's also a former student-athlete at Stanford University, where he was captain of the 1980 NCAA championship water polo team and an all-American in swimming and water polo.

But Smith is also wellknown for his long-term commitment as a volunteer for Special Olympics, where he spends a lot of his free time speaking to groups of young people and encouraging them to follow their dreams, just as he did.

Smith knew even as a little boy that he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. "As an 8-year-old, the dream began," he said. "When given crayons and the opportunity to draw, I drew explorers, divers and rockets again and again. I spent hours imagining that I was an underseas explorer or a high-flying astronaut.

"Through the years I was always interested in flying and aeronautics. My dad used to take me out to the San Jose airport to watch planes take off and land."

Smith's interests guided his academic life, where he continued to take more and more rigorous science, math and technology courses.

Smith attended Stanford University, where he earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree in electrical engineering as well as a master's degree in business administration.

In addition to pursuing a demanding academic program, Smith was an all-American swimmer and water polo player at Stanford, which won the NCAA championship in 1978 as well as 1980 when Smith was captain.

Man on a mission

It's much easier to dream of being an astronaut than to actually become one. Every year thousands of people apply to NASA, while only 30 people are accepted.

"It was my dream for more than 25 years. I tried five times over a 10-year period to become an astronaut. I had to persevere to achieve my dream," he said.

"Several times I was encouraged by friends and co-workers to give it up. I was leaving a good job at IBM, taking a pay cut and beginning a 2,000-mile commuter marriage (with wife Peggy).

"But I always tried to remember that you aren't measured by the setbacks you've had. You're measured by how you respond. Kids need to know that. They get told that they can't do things. I tell kids to have a dream and pursue it. Along the way they may have to modify their dream, and that's OK. But the important thing is having something that you're interested in and pursuing it with a passion."

Smith has a gift for inspiring others, and he has used that gift to help Special Olympics ever since he was at Stanford, where he first helped organize and run Special Olympics swim meets.

When Smith moved to Houston to work for NASA, he joined the board of Special Olympics Texas and continued to run events on a regular basis. He also continued to speak to Special Olympics athletes and volunteers.

"Wherever I go to speak, I always say, 'You can do anything -- when you fall down, get back up.' "

To the stars

Smith's life as an astronaut has been an exciting one so far. His specialty the last several years has been space walks to repair and service the Hubble Space Telescope. His most recent mission was on the Space Shuttle Discovery in December, where he served as payload commander and led the team of space walkers in replacing worn parts on the 9-year-old telescope and upgrading other systems on the space observatory.

The recent successful mission was Smith's third space flight since he joined the astronaut training program in 1992. In 1997, Smith became the 200th American astronaut in space during an 11-day mission on the Space Shuttle Endeavor, during which the astronauts' task was to monitor global change with a $366 million Space Radar Laboratory. Smith also has conducted several in-flight experiments, including researching an anti-cancer drug and a waste-water treatment system.

"When people think of the space program, they often think of the launch, and how interesting it is to see people floating in space ... that misses the real important reason we fly in space, which is to collect information and gather knowledge to make ourselves smarter. For the most part, the information we gather is used to improve all of our lives."

Smith knows that many of his life experiences --including athletics -- have helped him become who he is today.

"Everyone who achieves their dream can name five or six key elements in their life that helped them reach their goal. My family is at the top of the list, followed closely by a fine education at Stanford.

"Athletics also is one of those key elements in my life. So much of my life and my personality came from athletics, and I am firmly convinced that I am an astronaut because of my athletics background."

Smith continues to give back to athletics with his work with Special Olympics and also by volunteering at NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) clinics.

Smith carried a special ribbon and other NCAA Hall of Champions materials into space recently, and he will be participating in the Hall of Champions Grand Opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies in Indianapolis on March 30.

"My NCAA experience (as a student-athlete at Stanford) got me to space. That's why I carried the ribbon and the NCAA Hall of Champions plans on my flight," he said. "It's my way of saying, 'Thank you.' "