My heart was pounding as I stepped onto the ice. With a phony smile plastered on my face I took my starting pose. The music started and everything from then was muscle memory and the result of countless hours of practice. The following four minutes of my program required intense mental and physical focus. I did not let one ounce of doubt or fear enter my mind.
Those four minutes mark the biggest accomplishment of my life to date. They comprised my senior freeskate, which upon passing I earned my double gold medal in figure skating. However, not everything was a walk in the park. This was my second time testing, the first of which I received a “re-try,” in the words of the U.S. Figure Skating Association. After I failed the first test, I resumed training even harder by working through both mental and physical fatigue. Through my nine years of figure skating, never had I stepped on the ice without feeling some form of pain, whether it was asthma or a recurring ankle injury. However, I learned to use mental toughness to overcome these barriers. Receiving double gold medals marked the end of my figure skating chapter as it signified the defeat of self-doubt and fear of failure that haunted me for those nine years. It also marked a sense of bittersweet accomplishment. Never had I put so much effort and dedication into one aspect of my life.
Why do I do what I do? To attain a sense of accomplishment. I want to feel that sense of accomplishment I felt from figure skating, but instead in every facet of my life. I want to put in the effort and see results. I want to work hard in school and feel the accomplishment of getting into professional school and then earning that dream job. I want to raise a family and dedicate countless hours to ensuring that my family is happy. In the hopes of achieving my goal and receiving that sense of accomplishment, I also hope to accomplish another goal- to help others.
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