Donald Thomas Research Paper

Donald Thomas is a college student at Lindenwood University. Stefan Holm is a Swedish competitive high-jumper. Both started at different places but ended at the same place. These two high-jumpers are neither superior to one another or vice versa. They are both successful high-jumpers and achieved their goal.
In 2006, Donald Thomas was challenged by a classmate to jump over a 6’6’’ bar. Thomas did not refuse and amazingly jumped over the bar without a problem. A few days later, the track coach made an exception to let Thomas join. After 8 months of hard training, Thomas entered the World Champions with Stefan Holm. Thomas missed some bars while Holm passed through them with ease. However, despite missing some bars, he was “...Crowned the 2007

world champion” (paragraph 12). A scientist, Masaki Ishikawa, studied Thomas and stated, “Thomas’s long legs relative to his height and also that he was gifted with a giant’s Achilles tendon” ( paragraph 13).
However, Stefan Holm had really stiff Achilles tendon. The article states, “... The longer (and stiffer) the Achilles tendon, the more elastic energy it can store when compressed” shows that the practice of Stefan Holm tightened his Achilles tendon (Paragraph 13). Holm was an Olympic high-jump holder and shows that his Achilles tendon may have taken part of that. The scientist, Hunter, illustrates that, “... They use the velocity of the descent toward the ground to compress the tend, just like a spring” (paragraph 15). This shows that one’s Achilles tendon can act like a spring and push the person up over the bar.
In conclusion, having big and stiff Achilles tendon can come from genes.The stiffness of one’s Achilles tendon can enhance by training and practicing every day. Even from genetics, the stiffness and length can come from the parent and it can differ.