This is the fortune from the fortune cookie I ate yesterday. I absolutely love it! It has been a while since I have gotten a fortune cookie that I actually though was worth much of anything. But this one is special. I feel as though I fit well into both categories. I am definitely a dreamer, but I am also an achiever. I feel you need to be a dreamer to be an achiever, but you can be a dreamer without achieving much of anything. In my life, I have worked hard for what I have achieved. Here are two placers were my actions changed my dreams into achievements.
I began gymnastics classes when I was 2 years old. My mom put me into mommy and me classes, since I learned to walk when I was just 7 months old. I wanted nothing to do with the mommy part at all, so it wasn't long before I started regular classes. I started competing when I was 7 years. I quickly moved up the levels until at the age of 12, I was a level 10 gymnast, the highest level in the Junior Olympic program. The gymnastics you see in the olympics is the international elite level, however many of the skills they compete, I also at one time trained or competed. When I was 17 years old, I was offered a full scholarship to the University of Denver. Legitimately, my dreams had come true. Most of my life had been dedicated to gymnastics. I trained 25-30 hours a week during the school year, and pretty close to 40 hours a week during the summer. I sacrificed a lot of my childhood, but I never regretted a minute of it. There was nothing I loved more than doing gymnastics and being a gymnast. My road was not easy though, and I wish the ending of my gymnastics career was happy; it was not. I had small injuries when I was younger. They were common in growing athletes. I had some heal issues and some stress fractures. I had a problem with a bone in my foot when it filled with fluid, that at first the doctors though may be cancer, but turned out to be an overuse injury. I had aches and pains as many gymnasts do, but at 14 years old, I tore my ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus in my right knee doing a half in, half out off of bars. It was horrible! The impact was so hard that I bruised my tibia and femur half way up and down my legs. Walking was extremely painful. I had full reconstructive surgery and many people told me that I should quit. I was so young and this wasn't worth it. I would never be where I was before. I took this to heart and came back much better than I ever was before, adding much harder elements in all of my routines. Skill wise, the injury helped me. I was competing at a much higher level than ever before. However, I still had pain in my knee, and it wasn't the most stable. I had a disastrous regional meet that year and did not make nations. The next year, I was having an amazing season and was being recruited all over. My skill level was very difficult. I went into a meet called the Niagara Cup and hit a hole in the floor taking off for my full in, landing extremely short and badly spraining my ankle. I remember laying on the floor having no idea what I hurt. At first I thought it was my achilles, since I took off and legitimately went no where. Then I was afraid it was my knee. Finally I realized it was my ankle, and I was sure it was broken. It was not, but the doctor said it was amazing it wasn't. Again, I missed out on nationals because my ankle would not recover in time for regionals. My senior year was amazing. I had already committed and signed my letter of intent for Denver. I had a great season. My regional meet wasn't my best, but it was enough to make nationals. I had the meet of my life at nationals. I remember that feeling. I was so happy, my future coaches were there to watch me perform so well, and my club career was over. I was so excited for the next chapter of my life. Well... I started at Denver and it took a while to adjust. I had issues adjusting to college life, as well as college gymnastics. To make things worse, I had a weird knee injury happen when I did a front tuck on beam, landed a little low, and tore a piece of cartilage off that jammed in my joint. Another surgery, a couple of weeks off and back to training. I trained hard, and it was painful. My knee never really felt close to normal again after that surgery. I trained mostly floor, because that was where I was needed. I was the first person EVER to compete a full in on floor at Denver. That is something I was always have, something that can never be taken away from me. However, my knee never really healed and the season was rough on it. I was in constant pain which made training hard. When I did compete, I was great and consistent. However, the pain was awful. I was hoping that if I gave it a few weeks after season to heal, and focused on bars during that time, I could have an incredible sophomore year. With that drive, I decided to spend extra time in the gym with my coach. Nothing was going to stop me from being the best possible gymnast I could be the following year. However, it was not meant to be. At one of those extra practices, with only my coach and I in the gym, I tore my left ACL, MCL, and lateral meniscus. This time I knew what I did and I screamed. I remember calling my dad and telling him the news. He told me I was done; I told him no way. I was going to have surgery and heal up and get back to training as soon as possible. And I did! I came back so fast. It was looking like I would be able to compete in the beginning of that year! I had so many goals written down. I had a goal for the exact moment I wanted to be fully back, doing full routines. I still remember the date. That is how much I had ingrained it into my mind. 11/21/08. That was the date I was going to have everyone of my skills back. And it was looking like I was going to beat it! I remember being so excited. I wanted to be apart of this amazing team. I wanted to do what I knew I could do as long as my body would allow me. Mentally, I was ready to conquer the world. Physically, my body failed me. I remember the day I did back handspring back layout, working up on to the beam and I felt a horrible tweak of pain. I ignored it, and did one more. This time, I knew something was off. I could not ignore it. An MRI later, more of my meniscus would need to be cut out. It was at this time I needed to make a decision. My coach gave me two options, I could keep training and hoping to compete, but she could not guarantee me a scholarship, or I could take her advice as well as my doctor's and be medically disqualified and put on medical scholarship. I would be able to stay at my school and keep my scholarship, but I would never be able to compete again. It was a horrible decision for me to make. I knew what everyone thought I should do, and I knew the right answer, but it was absolutely agonizing. I couldn't imagine my life without being a gymnast. I did not want to end this way! I wanted to end on my own terms, however I knew what I needed to do. I medically retired in November of 2008.
I was very lost for a while. I threw myself into schoolwork and suddenly my grades came up from my first year and a half. My grades were awesome and I even started doing research in a lab. My misfortune in gymnastics, gave me the grades and time I needed to prove to myself and to others that I would make a great doctor. I worked my ass off and was accepted to Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine in the beginning of my senior year. Again, another dream come true through action.
By action I do not only mean hard work, physical, and mental action. But I also mean by prayer. I prayed to God throughout all of this. It is amazing how I could not see his path for me. I questioned him. I was even bitter at times. But looking back, everything lead me right to where I am supposed to be :)
No comments:
Post a Comment