MaKenzie Beck
August 9th,2014
As a homeschooler there were not a lot of academic accomplishments
to pursue growing up and as a shy individual I did not seek out the kind of
opportunities to insure an exciting resume during my high school years. However
when I was sixteen, I was able to muster up my courage and join my hometown’s
high school track team. While participating in track I learned a lot about
myself: I discovered a passion for running that I still enjoy today, but more
importantly I learned the life lesson of what it is like to start at the bottom
and the perseverance required to succeed with reaching goals.
I joined track with the intent to run mid/long distance, but on
the first day of practice, when I could not run a complete lap, I became aware of
how bad a runner I actually was. On this first day, and many times after, the “quitting”
thought crossed my mind, but every time I shut that thought down because I knew
my only option was to keep going. Through that first season and the seasons to
follow, I had many monumental moments: my first race when I finally was able to
run the required two lap distance. The first time I ran the mile race and did
not come in last. The times I did not do my best or the time I simply gave up
and walked off the track in the middle of a race-the haunting disappointment of
these incidents became my driving point. The first time I placed at a meet. And
then when I became a valuable member of the team because I was a competitor. Each
time I was faster than my previous best race or had a stronger finish. Every
moment from my track career was a piece of the life lesson I came away with: That
through desire, discipline and determination success can be achieved.
I may have missed out on academic accomplishments as a homeschooler,
but my participation in track, the dedication required to start at nothing to eventually
lettering, more than once, was an irreplaceable growing experience for me. Track
pushed my limits and as a result I take with me the life lesson: to achieve a
goal one must work hard and persevere.
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