Theodore Roosevelt was born with asthma and poor eyesight, yet this sickly child later won fame as a political leader, a Rough Rider, and a hero of the common people. To conquer his handicaps, Teddy trained in a gym and became a lightweight boxer at Harvard. Out west, he hunted buffalo and ran a cattle ranch. Back east, he became a civil service reformer and police commissioner. He became President McKinley`s assistant Navy secretary during the Spanish-American War. Also, he led a charge of cavalry Rough Riders up San Juan Hill in Cuba. After achieving fame, he became governor of New York and went on to become the vice president.When McKinley was assassinated, Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest president at age 42. He is famous for his motto, Speak softly and carry a big stick. Roosevelt battled for meat inspection and pure-food laws. Also, he wanted to save the forests and break the grip that big business had on steel and oil. Roosevelt persuaded the diplomats of warring Russia and Japan to make peace.