Competition versus Grace:
A biography of my life
Walking around the house was something I never partook in, instead, I flipped. Somersaulting to the kitchen or front flipping over the couches was how I got around on a daily basis, and that is when my parents knew the perfect sport for me. It is odd to say that one starts training for the Olympics at such a young age, but with such a harsh and strenuous sport as gymnastics, I started at the age of two with Mommy and me classes.
After that, I was hooked and the training intensified, my life revolved around staying in a warm and humid gym through all hours of the day. Between the ages of 6–14, I was in the gym twenty-five hours a week preparing for my future as a gymnast. My stubborn and competitive nature could not be fulfilled with just dance for I needed to compete but still show off the elegance I pertained. My dad was a very good baseball player, and my Grandmother was a professional baton spinner, mixing the two sports together led to my natural ability to be a good gymnast. I had the strength and power of a baseball player and the grace of a dancer.
I can vividly remember one competition. As a level six gymnast, I was only twelve years old. For reference, there are ten levels in gymnastics, and I became a level-eight gymnast before I had to quit at the age of fourteen. Yet to the story of the competition, at this certain level six meet, I woke up in the morning not feeling well. Although, missing a meet was just not an option. If I missed a meet, I would affect the team’s all-around score, so I quickly took an Advil and began to get ready Doing so, I decided not to tell my mom the extent of my illness. As I arrived at the meet, I began to feel worse, however, I continued to strive on while deciding to tell my coach I was feeling ill just in case I did not perform well. My coaches were very strict Russians, Lydia and Sergay, they told me,
“Sickness is not an excuse, do your best, be sick later.”
So, at that moment I decided I was not sick. I made it through the floor, beam, and bars without anyone even realizing I was ill. I had completed three-fourths of the competition solely on adrenaline and Advil. Unfortunately at the fourth event, beam, the Advil left my system. I laid on the floor in a fetal position unable to get up, so my coach brought over a thermometer, and to my dismay, I had a 104-degree fever. They told me it was my choice if I wanted to get onto the balance beam, and of course, my driven self was not going to take a zero on an event. I got up off the ground and mounted the beam. I started off with my signature forward roll that I had never fallen on, however, the dizziness overtook my body, and I immediately fell to my face. I got back onto the beam acting as if nothing happened, but I happened to fall four more times. Embarrassed and weak, I started to tear up. Not wanting to step up back onto the beam, I almost left the mat. Suddenly I heard a noise from the crowd, I heard my parents yell,
“Let’s go Izzy!”
And then the entire gym began to yell the same thing. The hundreds of people cheering my name gave me the motivation to get back on the beam and finish my routine without any more falls. I dismounted and my coach ran over and hugged me; she was just proud I had the determination to finish what I had started. Due to my parents teaching and my gymnastics experience, to this day I live by this rule and continue to push through anything to finish what I started.
Although I had to quit due to serious injury, gymnastics led me to who I am today. It taught me that success comes from hard work, it doesn't just fall at your feet. Gymnastics also led me to be a very successful competitive cheerleader where I was cheer captain every year. Cheer taught me how to be a leader and gave me the confidence I needed to thrive in life. If I had not been pushed to compete I would not have the same drive and determination I have today. The drive that got me into college, the drive that keeps me in school, the drive that is pushing me towards medical school. All in all, I would have never gotten where I am today without my family supporting my every choice along the way. And, that is why I always want to push myself, so I can give my future family what my family gave me.
