Since the beginning of time humans have been running.Whether it would be
running from something that causes fear,to get to an important destination, or just for
fun, we’ve always ran because running is a natural human instinct.Despite the fact
that it is a natural yet an essential part of life it can cause great pain and thrill similar
to the pain and thrill it caused me April 25th, 2017.
I could remember this day so clearly.The hot,intense sun beaming down,the wind blowing occasionally,the few cirrus clouds moving ever so slowly complimenting the clear blue sky. This beautiful Thursday would hold my first varsity race but unfortunately my last league meet of my sophomore track season.As the last event of the meet, the 4 by 400 meters relay race approached I was feeling extremely apprehensive.I was the anchor which is the last person running in the relay and it was up to me whether or not my team would be victorious against our opponents from St.Lucy’s.My palms were sweating and my heart was racing as I stretched and practiced handoffs with the 1st three legs of my relay.
At last,over the stadiums intercom I heard,”girls 4x4 report to the starting line immediately”and it was then I knew I couldn’t let my team down and they’re depending on me to bring home the final win of the season.The gunman slowly
I could remember this day so clearly.The hot,intense sun beaming down,the wind blowing occasionally,the few cirrus clouds moving ever so slowly complimenting the clear blue sky. This beautiful Thursday would hold my first varsity race but unfortunately my last league meet of my sophomore track season.As the last event of the meet, the 4 by 400 meters relay race approached I was feeling extremely apprehensive.I was the anchor which is the last person running in the relay and it was up to me whether or not my team would be victorious against our opponents from St.Lucy’s.My palms were sweating and my heart was racing as I stretched and practiced handoffs with the 1st three legs of my relay.
At last,over the stadiums intercom I heard,”girls 4x4 report to the starting line immediately”and it was then I knew I couldn’t let my team down and they’re depending on me to bring home the final win of the season.The gunman slowly
said,”leg 2 stay on the track, legs 3 and 4 stay on the field until the runner ahead of
you has began their race”at that point my body was shaking with a mixture of fear
happiness and pure anxiety.
As the white haired gunmen quickly climbed up his miniature ladder he made the announcement that proclaimed,”runners to your mark...set...” and he fired his gun with an ear blasting “POW!”.First leg Ladaijah Wright took off on the first curve which consisted of 100 meters.She continued to accelerate and became neck and neck with our tall blonde headed opponent from St.Lucy’s.With her short yet quick stride for the next 200 meters,she passed our opponent and gradually gained more distance between the two of them.As she approached the final straightway of her race she was now a good 20 meters ahead of her opponent.As she crossed the finish line she immediately passed the gold baton to our second leg,Candice Velasco.Similar to Ladaijah, Candice sprinted the first 100 meters all out.The next 200 meters she maintained speed all while widening the gap between us and our opponent. As Candice reached the final 100 meters she ran with all her might and widened the gap even more to about 30 meters despite the fact she was in pain which you could tell by the grimace on her face as she finished and passed the shiny gold baton onto Donyale Thomas our 3rd leg.While she began running her first 100 meters I nervously stepped onto the track.I turned my head in Donyale’s direction while she was running and I realized we had just lost our lead.I could tell she was trying her hardest to close the gap but it was too late.St.Lucy’s had us beat unless I could miraculously bring back our lead which I was infamously known not to do.However, my time had come to run.As St.Lucy’s quickly handed off their baton I was still waiting for Donyale.After about 5 more seconds of waiting,Donyale aggressively handed me the baton and I
As the white haired gunmen quickly climbed up his miniature ladder he made the announcement that proclaimed,”runners to your mark...set...” and he fired his gun with an ear blasting “POW!”.First leg Ladaijah Wright took off on the first curve which consisted of 100 meters.She continued to accelerate and became neck and neck with our tall blonde headed opponent from St.Lucy’s.With her short yet quick stride for the next 200 meters,she passed our opponent and gradually gained more distance between the two of them.As she approached the final straightway of her race she was now a good 20 meters ahead of her opponent.As she crossed the finish line she immediately passed the gold baton to our second leg,Candice Velasco.Similar to Ladaijah, Candice sprinted the first 100 meters all out.The next 200 meters she maintained speed all while widening the gap between us and our opponent. As Candice reached the final 100 meters she ran with all her might and widened the gap even more to about 30 meters despite the fact she was in pain which you could tell by the grimace on her face as she finished and passed the shiny gold baton onto Donyale Thomas our 3rd leg.While she began running her first 100 meters I nervously stepped onto the track.I turned my head in Donyale’s direction while she was running and I realized we had just lost our lead.I could tell she was trying her hardest to close the gap but it was too late.St.Lucy’s had us beat unless I could miraculously bring back our lead which I was infamously known not to do.However, my time had come to run.As St.Lucy’s quickly handed off their baton I was still waiting for Donyale.After about 5 more seconds of waiting,Donyale aggressively handed me the baton and I
took off.While I was running all I could think of is how will I close this gap or if it was
even possible for us to win at this point.Then as I approached the 200 meter mark I
noticed my opponent who has started off running so fast had slowed down
tremendously.I remember thinking I can’t pass her now she’ll just run right back
ahead of me and make me look stupid.So after waiting a couple seconds I realized
she wasn’t speeding up so I strided past her and I was now in the lead.As I ran faster
and faster her breathing became fainter indicating she was now far behind me.When
the last 100 meters came I quickly sprinted and as I did,my legs but more specifically
my hamstrings started to burn as I ran and came closer to the finish line.The last 50
meters of my race I could indistinctly hear my teammates,friends and family cheering
me on.At Last I crossed the finish line. I had an extreme burning sensation in my
chest and I could hardly breathe but it was all so worth it bringing my relay to victory
despite the fact that I initially doubted myself.So the question I’ve asked myself is how
did I become a better athlete from this experience?
The answer is that I became a better athlete from my experience by believing in myself more and not doubting my abilities.Another lesson I’ve learned from this is that the journey is the destination of success.
The answer is that I became a better athlete from my experience by believing in myself more and not doubting my abilities.Another lesson I’ve learned from this is that the journey is the destination of success.
Chambers
13 comments:
Kaley that was an amazing story! I was at the edge of my seat when you were handed the baton and I actually gasped in excitement when I read that you beat out your opponent, which goes to show what a phenomenal writer you are. Thanks for sharing :-)
Kaley, I really enjoyed your piece, the way you described how you were feeling and what events led up to you winning because you believed in yourself, I could connect with the emotions you were feeling during the race. This is a very important message because being an athlete has its pressures and stress which can often times damage your self-esteem or even discourage you from the sport completely, but when you believe in yourself, you can do anything you put your mind to. Great Job!
Kaley, I'm so proud of you! Reading this post was so exhilarating and exciting, I really felt like I was at the competition with you! I really like the comparisons you made in the beginning on why we want and need to run, a great opener that really tied in with the rest of your piece! I also appreciate how you can recall the exact date, as well as the weather, your teammates, and the school you were up against! It all shows just how passionate you are with what you do, and it's so beautiful!
I know the running the 400 is tough, it seems hopeless to catch anyone because its such a short distance but you still pulled off the victory in the end and as a fellow runner myself I can feel the satisfaction you had after taking that first place.
The way you described your story with great detail and suspense made me feel like I was there too as a reader and also made it so interesting. I also, liked the ending how despite doubting yourself you were able to come out as a better athlete good job.
Kaley, I just want to start off by saying how well you used details because you made me feel as if I was actually there. My heart began pounding when you said that your hamstring began burning but then the twist at the end where you won made me so proud. Thanks for sharing and Great Job!
Kaley, I have to start off by saying how proud I am of you for not giving up. You kept running no matter how stressful the race might have gotten and used details to bring more suspense like how your handsprings were burning when you were running faster, but you kept running because you believed in yourself along with your friends and family and made it through the finish line. Great job!
I absolutely loved this! I felt as if I was in the stands watching the race. Your detail was so vivid and intense, really good job on that. As an athlete, I have always enjoyed hearing the experiences of an athlete who is passionate about what they do. Thank you for translating your emotion into a story!
What an amazing story!! Kaley I love how you wrote with such detail, it makes the reader more involved and allows them to get a glimpse of what you were feeling in that moment. I love how you wrapped it up at the end, telling us how you grew from the experience. Everyone loves a come back especially when the person puts there heart and soul into it. I love your story!
-Kailee Hinds
Kaley thank you for sharing such an important event in your life. I really enjoyed your use of imagery and vivid detail. I know that the 400 is not easy and is even that much more impressive that you brought your team to victory. Thanks again for sharing such an impactful event in your life.
Great job on your story and your meet Kaley! I loved how descriptive you were and how I was able to know what you were thinking, it definitely kept me in suspense. The way you told the story, step by step, made me so interested and kept me hooked. It's great to hear how you have bettered yourself from this experience and even found some confidence too.
-Alicia Garcia
Your story is truly inspirational and really shows just how believing in yourself can really make a difference. The detail you put into your piece really helps the audience connect and feel the emotion you experienced on that day. Overall, an amazing piece with plenty of detail and a true message.
this is a very motivating story that a lot of people can learn from. i loved how you talked about having faith in yourself and building your way up to finally win. the words you used to describe your emotions throughout this story is absolutely enthralling
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