Personal Narrative: My First Gymnastics

1012 Words3 Pages

It was a big day for me. I was 10 years old, anxiously waiting for my first gymnastics meet to start. I was a level 5, right at the bottom of the gymnastics hierarchy. Nonetheless, this day was important to me. I finished in first place, taking home the gold all around medal. When I got home, I placed my medal on a hook of my bedroom wall. Competition after competition, my only concern became the number of gold medals I would obtain. As I grew older and progressed in gymnastics, I slowly crept down the podium. At every competition, exceptionally talented gymnasts dominated. Inspired by their effortless, beautiful routines, I went back to the gym and practiced. On a Monday afternoon, I was at gymnastics practice, where you would …show more content…

One week later, there was no sign of progress. A month followed, and another, and another. Morose and losing hope, the thought of never doing gymnastics again became a realistic fear. Day after wretched day, I laid sulking in my room, watching the medals on my shelf …show more content…

Slowly, my confidence began to develop, and I began preparing for my first level 10 competition. A once daunting routine became a casual walk in the park. A once impossible rope climb became an effortless task. When competition day eventually came, I woke up before the sun. My hair was meticulously braided into a perfectly tight ponytail, and and my warm-up jacket was lipped on without a wrinkle. Some of the most renowned gymnasts in the country filled the venue. I look around, and start to imagine myself on each of the events. I start to reminisce about the last time I was here. Two years ago, I was here, oblivious I was about to complete a meet that was thought to be my last, until today. Floor was our first rotation. Considering my last practice, I had only about a 50% chance of completing my routine with zero falls. As I tried to disregard the undesirable statistics, I solute to the judges, and I prepare for my routine. I hear the all-too-familiar beats of my music and I think about what could happen in the next few seconds. I run into my first tumbling pass, and adrenaline shoots me into the air. I land my first pass almost flawlessly. “Ok,” I thought. “Almost done.” Once again, with the help of adrenaline, I complete my second pass without a problem. “My first level 10 floor routine is almost over!” I start celebrating. I begin my third and final pass; a one and a half front twist. I prepare myself, then start

Open Document