During the majority of my junior year pole vault season, I was the team’s leader. Every day at practice, I would jump run and do drills for hours, making sure to give my all; ironically this was my problem. My teammate ended up surpassing me and beating me at the district and state meet, and I knew exactly why. Unlike myself, she worked exceptionally hard, not only in practice, but in the off-season as well. Indeed, this defeat was very difficult for me, but it was the most motivating moment of my athletic career. From then on I was determined to give my best and not sacrifice the gift that God gave me, in both my athletics and academics.
This year, I have taught myself — through practice — what it means to give my best. It means that, in every endeavor, I will give my all and have no regrets or dissatisfaction with my work. I have put these ideas into practice in my schooling and my career as a pole vaulter. This year, three of my toughest classes are Anatomy and Physiology, Trigonometry, and Writing 121. Doing well in these classes provides me, with a great foundation for college as I begin and complete my nursing degree. And year in pole vault, I began practice, weight training, and cardio training months before the season. I have also changed my mentality toward my goals. I no longer set a specific height as a goal; to give my best and work my hardest each and every day is what I focus on. This, in turn, has led to drastic improvements and a very positive outlook on this current season. The wise words of Steve Prefontaine have evolved from some glitter paint on a t-shirt to the way that I choose to live my life and tackle obstacles.