Daphne Scriven
The quote, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift,” by Steve Prefontaine, means to me that if you aren’t willing to put in the effort to be great, you shouldn’t expect to achieve greatness. Part of being successful means showing up on time, being prepared, and ready to work. Giving your best means working towards goals that you have set for yourself, and once you accomplish one, setting a new one. To give your best, you must be willing to push yourself with goals requiring more and more time, energy and focus.
Steve Prefontaine was dedicated to improving and wasn’t afraid of putting in the work to make it happen. He was blessed with natural talent and maximized his gift by working tremendously hard to excel, improving upon his personal best, time and time again. Sacrificing this gift would be allowing distractions to limit his potential. Knowing he could achieve greatness, Pre put in the time and effort to excel. Having a gift doesn’t mean work and effort are not required. Pre understood having a gift meant he needed to work even harder to recognize the gift’s full potential.
Unlike Pre, I am not a naturally gifted athlete. While I may not have the gift of athletic performance, I do have the gift of determination. Similarly to Pre, I have worked for everything I have accomplished. I won a state title for discus my sophomore year. Winning as a sophomore was exciting, but I knew I’d have to work even harder to win again. Winning my first state title meant that if I chose to, I could have been satisfied with winning one and cruise through the rest of my high school career. Instead, I chose to continue to be better and go for another state title my junior year. I put in the work, winning again by throwing an additional fifteen feet. I am planning to win it again as a senior, by adding another 15 feet to my personal best. I plan to continue my throwing career at Weber State University, setting and breaking new goals for myself.
Giving your best means recognizing your personal limitations, but not letting them limit your determination and perseverance. Having the ability to perform cannot be taken for granted. Steve Prefontaine’s performance on the track and his dedication to the sport is an inspiration.