The first time I jumped off a start block into a swimming pool, I belly flopped. Hard. I believe Moby Dick could have had a more graceful dive. Now in my defense, growing up, I had never officially been taught how to dive. I just jumped in to every pool feet first. So when I took up competitive swimming, the concept of entering the water head first concerned me. I remember plainly standing on the deck listening to my coach tell me to “just jump and the rest will follow.” Needless to say, the rest did not follow. The rest spread out like a parachute yet had quite the opposite effect. I slapped the water so hard, two guys jumped in after me to make sure I didn’t break anything. I painfully pulled myself out of the water and lay strewn across the deck, red from the neck down. I stared up at my coach and listened to the stifled giggles of my team mates behind me. “Now that wasn’t right at all,” she said. “Try it again!” Thank you for the brilliant insight, coach. It was going to be a long year.
In my life, I have been faced with many obstacles. But giving up has never helped me overcome any of them. Determination is a funny thing. The definition for determination is pressing on even when things are tough. The motivation behind pressing on for each person cannot, however, be found in a dictionary. Some are determined for others; they feel the need to fulfill a promise or help someone out. And some are determined simply because they know they can succeed. There is a spark of determination in all of us. For the student, it is determination to pass a test with a good grade. For the worker, it is determination to finish the paper work and complete the report. For the parent, it is determination to raise a child on good moral standards, and always protect and provide. Every person has determination. It is the toddler proclaiming, “I do it myself!” as he struggles to reach the top shelf. It is also the dying woman, shaking as she pens her memoir, before her story fades from memory.
“Faith, trust, and pixie dust” is what made the Darling children fly to Never Never Land. No matter what trials, heartache, or humiliation we face, we all have a spark of determination to finish the race and win the prize. Whether it is for the exercise of running, the pride in finishing, or the shine of the medal, we all are determined. My determination came in staying after countless practices; diving over kick boards, pipes, and people, banging my leg on the sides of the pool, and coming up to the surface with water clogged ears and nose. But I was determined to dive like a swan off that start block. Today, I may more accurately resemble a duck, but I know how it’s done. In fact, last practice, a new swimmer flopped into the pool and came up frustrated. “Hey Rach, why don’t you go help her out?” My coach laughed. Sure thing.
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