Personal Narrative: My Best Horse Show

The season started out like any other, one week of pain staking agony and push-ups. The constant workouts, sweat, and two hour practices were completely worth the outcome of my last volleyball season. The past four years of my high school career I spent being a member of the volleyball team. But to me, this is not just a team, this is my family. I knew I would become close with my team since I spent so much time with them, but then I realized even once volleyball was over, they would still be my family.

I had it for over two and a half years. In those two and a half years I started racing. My first time I ever raced I got first place and it was the best feeling ever. I was so proud of what I had accomplished and wanted to keep racing. But after I placed first in that class I got bumped up to a new class that had bigger bikes and faster kids.

I’d consider a score of thirteen to one a butt-kicking, especially coming against one of the proudest travel teams in all of Ohio. With a record of three wins and no losses, our hopes were high. That night we went back to hotel we stayed at and had one of the most enjoyable nights of my life. To this day I still remember it fondly. Buffalo Wild Wings with friends then staying up until twelve-thirty running around the hotel playing tag probably wasn’t the right thing to do eight hours before our next game, but it was enjoyable and luckily for us it didn’t bite us in the butt.

One more goal and we would win but for the moment we were tied. My chances were slim because I was very tired and sweaty. We only had one minute left of the game. I went to kick the team stole the ball away from A person on my team got the all and kicked it back to me because she was cornered and I was her only chance. The seconds were ticking: 20 seconds left.

My nervous smile spread across my face and the music began. Leaping back and forth across the mat even more powerful than I ever have before calmed my nerves. My first and most important gymnastic passes was approaching, it had to be powerful, precise, and clean. I could feel my legs shaking as I ran fast into my double front flip. The rest of the pass went fast and I didn’t realize until I landed that it was the best I have ever performed the skill before.

My legs got wobbly as everything began to spin and the next thing I knew I was falling to the ground. Starting cross-country my senior year was terrifying, but I am so grateful I did because this moment during my first race taught me a lot about my strength and persistence when I am tested with any type of challenge. It has allowed me to overcome anything I may face not only in running but in all aspects of my life. My senior year I switched from the Orange County School of the Arts to Edison High School and joined the cross-country team. I started training with the team over the summer.

My partner this year was Denton Good, his family and mine have been very good friends for a very long time,our dad’s rodeo together a long time ago. In the first round in ribbon roping we were a 13.3 seconds that put us number one in that performance, but third in the whole go round. I was so excited when we went to awards Friday night, it was my first ever national buckle I had ever won in my life. Then in the second round we were a 12 flat that puts us third in the go again. I was so excited that I had gotten two buckles form nationals in the same year.

By the end of the season I wrestled my way into the regional competitions. In the competition I defeated wrestlers who had wrestled many years. Although, I did not compete in the state competition I am happy to have made it so far in three months.

I went in with a negative attitude, but I remember walking out of that gym after every practice having accomplished something new. After a few months my jumps got higher, my stunt group had the highest basket toss, I got a back-tuck. Everything fell into its place, and I finally discovered what I loved most. I am so grateful I never quit after that first practice, cheer has shaped who I am today. I’m now a captain and three year cheerleader at Brighton, 2 year United Spirit Association All-American Athlete, and planning to cheer in college.

Our fullback was back after suffering a knee injury in our first game, and our wide receiver was back after being sick for the past week. I was so ready to play I just knew we were going to roll right over our rivals. I’d never been so wrong in my entire life. The game started off decent enough. We won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball first.