As a 29-year-old medical school applicant for which I have spent 23 of them in the world of competitive figure skating. For 19 years I was a competitive figure skater, competing at both the local and national level. Figure skating was my way of life, it guided every decision I made, whether I could go hang out with friends, go on family vacations, or what types of activities I could do so that I would not become injured, hampering my skating career. In the middle of my season in 2009 such injury occurred, I was diagnosed with a bulging disc partially caused by a grade one spondylolisthesis between my lumbar and sacral vertebrae. I was told that this was the end of my skating career, I would never be able to compete on that sheet of ice that …show more content…
He told me it may be possible for me to skate again. He asked me if I was prepared to work even harder than I had before to continue my skating career, to which I said “I know no other option”. A value instilled in me by my parents at a young age; if you want something you have to work as hard as possible to get it. I did countless weeks of intense physical therapy. I reduced work load at my job which supported my skating in order to focus on my recovery since my labor intensive job would impede the recovery process. During my slow return to skating I had a reoccurrence of my bulging disc to which the doctor told me the impact forces of jumping were too much for muscular strength to overcome. We discussed my options and he agreed that I could compete in ice dance, my second love in skating. He reiterated to me that picking up and individual to perform lifts might not put the same impact forces but I still needed to work as hard as before to be able to compete safely. I rehabilitated again and begun my trek down the path of ice dancing. I competed in ice dance for the next six years without a flair up in my back. I was a national competitor and at the end of my career I was ranked 11th in the country, competing against those who would become our Olympic team
For every Olympic games, there always seems to be some type of scandal or drama. The 2002 Winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City proved itself to be full of this excitement and controversy. That year the scandal appeared in one of the most popular events, figure skating. The competition was between the Russian and Canadian figure skating pairs. The Russians showed a performance full of technical difficulty without pulling it off completely. Their performance was marred by simple mistakes. On the other hand, the Canadian pair performed a piece full of emotion, and while not as technically difficult as the Russians, more thorough and precise in their landings and jumps. After their performance the audience and the television commentators all believed they were the gold medallists. However after their score went up, they were sorely put in second place. As it turns out a French judge exchanged votes with a Russian judge so that the Russians would win the event. Since this happened, it has opened up the doors to the world of figure skating and informed the public of its corruptness. What people need to notice is that judges exchanging votes is only one part of the problem and how well a person actually performs the techniques on the ice is only one part of the judging. In an article published in Newsweek right after the scandal was exposed the author states, "For ages figure skating has attracted ridicule for letting a competitor's nationality, make-up, costume, and choice of music seem to count as much as the athleticism and grace." (Begley 40) As it stands now in 2010, it looks as though no one has learned a lesson from this event or article. Judges who make deals before competitions and get caught do not suffer any harsh consequences. They continue to practice unsportsmanlike conduct while judging. In my movie (as yet to be titled) I hope to address not only the fact that judges make deals ahead of time, but that certain skaters are discriminated by their race and sexuality as well as for arbitrary reasons.
“It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re 17 and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.” - One Tree Hill
After being mesmerized by figure skating at the age of eight, I became a member of the Markham Skating Club. As a competitive figure skater, I must perform various jumps and spins in a choreographed program. I have participated in numerous competitions in Central Ontario and have received multiple medals for my achievements. Yet, my achievement as a figure skater stem from the adversity that I faced throughout my skating journey. This sport has imposed challenges to both my mental and physical strength that have ultimately constructed the qualities of dedication and humility within myself.
A year and three months ago, I was at football practice. I was on the defensive line. I tripped up the running back, but the running back landed on my left ankle. The result was a fracture on my left tibia. I played on my injury for two weeks. At that moment, I was not able to play football for the rest of the year. During this summer, I injured my back. I began to accumulate information about how to treat my injuries. While I was researching, the words physical therapy popped up. I clicked on them, and the article discussed what a physical therapist does. When I was halfway down the article, it stated that a physical therapist helps people with injuries like mine. After researching, I decided to be a physical therapist.
RAH! RAH! GO TEAM! This is what most people think of when they hear the word cheerleading. Movies usually give people the impression that cheerleaders are just stuck up blondes that rule the school and cheer at football and basketball games. Although there are still stereotypical cheerleaders just like the ones in movies, cheerleaders are not just on the sidelines anymore. There are now competitive teams who only compete and do not cheer for anything. This is called competitive cheerleading. This type of cheerleading is very different from the cheerleading on the sidelines and is much more athletic. Competitive cheerleading is often underrated because cheerleaders make it look easier than it is. Society should consider competitive cheerleading a sport because it fits the definition, requires incredible strength and endurance, and considering it a sport would help prevent injuries.
Be strong, i’m here for you, why do you feel the need to do this to yourself? Those are some common phrases I hear from day to day. I have always been a happy girl, I have a good family good house and a amazing gymnastics career, but two years ago my life changed forever. Ever since I was a little girl I had always known my goal and pushed myself to the highest levels to get it. My goal was the olympics and there was nothing holding me back or at least that's what I thought.
“Cheerleading involves skills which require the strength of football, the grace of dance, and the agility of gymnastics” (“Sport”). Many categorize competitive cheerleading as just an activity without any skill needed: there is nothing further from the truth! Competitive cheerleading is a sport that is dedicated to competition, fits the definition of a sport, and possesses a goal.
Tests after tests including MRI’s, X-rays, and experimental procedures were performed to show I had five ruptured disks in the lower lumbar section of my back. Tedious Examination done by a group of doctors concluded I had a crippling disease of the spinal column called spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that causes compression of the spinal cord. (Lohr,1) If this disease was ignored any longer, it would lead to many other problems affecting other areas of my back to help support this weakness. It was an extremely rare case for an athlete my age.
I’ve been doing competitive cheerleading since the third grade. Competitive cheerleading being the third most dangerous sport in the world, I was going to get injured at one point or another; it just depends on when and how bad the injury is. Most cheerleaders hide injuries from coaches and other athletes to continue with the season, like if the athlete has a broken rib, jammed finger, sprained ankle, or wrist. Some injuries just cannot be ignored, like a torn ACL, achilles, obvious broken bones, concussions, or a jammed back. No athlete wants to be injured, but sometimes that’s the best thing that can happen to them.
Every person has something inside them that defines them as an individual. This uniqueness can take many forms and could be visible to the outside world or quietly hidden, deep inside. Passion for something specific is often the guiding factor in developing one’s uniqueness and often in ways that were not foreseen. My love of ice hockey has changed my life in ways that I could not have imagined and has shaped my personal growth. My ability to stop a hockey puck defined me; or so I thought!
During the ninth grade, I injured my knee playing soccer. The initial MRI did not show any tears, but the orthapedic surgeon did notice I was weak medially and that my patella was tracking laterally. He sent me to therapy to strengthen the inside of my leg and hopefully pull my kneecap medially. I started going to therapy and I adored my therapist, Kelley. Even though the exercises weren’t always fun or pain free I looked forward to therapy. She made things fun, and since I was interested in the field, would explain why I was doing certain exercises compared to others. The pain didn’t go away and she worked to help figure ...
Today in society, influential people can alter how people live their everyday lives in either a pleasant or an immoral manner. Athletes, such as famous Olympic figure skater, Kristi Yamaguchi, created a lasting impact on people everywhere. The way that athletes cope with their challenges and reach their goals is an important factor in the works of influencing a nation. An athlete’s extraordinary capabilities are another component of influencing a population. Another style that is used by influential people is having the quality of integrity to make a moral influence for others. In addition, society is altered by athletes who are able to dedicate other parts of their life to the benefit the media and public. Kristi Yamaguchi has made an impact on society through her ability to overcome strenuous challenges, utilize her charismatic and artistic skating technique, her involvement in public outreach programs and charities, and because of her talented devotion to whatever she does.
Synchronized swimming, also known as pattern swimming or water ballet, is an Olympic sport that mixes swimming with ballet and gymnastics, and includes diving, stunts, lifts, and endurance movements. It developed from ornamental swimming and into a recognized sport in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with swimmers performing round-dances in the water as a swimming art form.
Skateboarding is much more than a sport. Skating has loads of benefits mental and physical. It’s a way to make new friends and bond. Skateboarding has a very wide range of perks. The United States Marine Corps experimented with the use of off-the-shelf skateboards in the late 1990’s. They used these in urban-combat military maneuver exercises to detect sniper fire and tripwires. In the next few paragraphs I’m going to explain why skateboarding should be considered more than just a sport or a hobby.
Becoming a skateboarder isn’t easy because it takes time and effort to learn how to push