奪金有悟

Up next on the high beam is number seven of team De- sert Devils!” I heard the announcer broadcast. Raising my eyes to the crowd， I saw my family grinning， ready to watch. Quickly looking back to the judges， I waited for their salute. My stomach was filled with anxious 1)butterflies; the balance beam was my specialty. After they scrutinized my

2)stance， they gave me approval to begin. I slowly inhaled as I mounted the beam， and suddenly I was effortlessly gliding across the narrow surface， lost in my 3)routine.

Gymnastics has consumed my life from ages five to eleven. Practic-ing 15 hours a week， the sport molded me into a hard-working， goal-setting child filled with aspirations. I still remember one particular 4)stunt that， for whatever reason， I could not seem to master. I dreaded

the 5)front hip circle on the high bar. Even with my teammates encouraging me， I could never follow through with the final turn.

Knowing that a state competition was just around the corner， I realized I could cost my team the gold medal. Why can’t I do this? I’m the only one who can’t master this trick! The way I saw it， I was a failure if I couldn’t do what seemed impossible.

The coaches pushed us to our limits. Passing out or throwing up was common， and if we didn’t push ourselves， we were viewed as quitters. I suppose that is why I was so affected by my inability to master that front hip circle.

The day before the competition， my coaches and I planned a slight change in my routine that eliminated the front hip circle. We all knew that this would 6)dock me

major points， but it was our only option. I had given up for the first time in my life.

The next day， I was a nervous wreck. This competition was crucial; winning the 7)Arizona State Competition would put us above our closest rival. As I did my floor and 8)vault routines， my mind was preoccupied with the high bar. It was not until I mounted the balance beam that a sense of rationality persuaded me that I was a powerful being who controlled my future. This 9)epiphany gave me great strength as I finished my balance beam routine with a score of 9.3. I moved to my high bar routine and for whatever reason， I suddenly felt as if I could accomplish anything. I could do the front hip circle， I just knew I could! Shakily continuing the routine that my coaches had decided was too difficult， I plunged forward with all my might and thrust my body over the top of the bar.

Time stopped as I felt my body make a full rotation around the bar. But this time I didn’t fall off as I rounded the last turn! No， I did， a 10)feat I had thought impossible. I grinned as I finished with a strong sense of passion. I looked to my coaches as I dismounted and waited for their reaction. Their faces glowed with pride as they told me they had

always believed in me， I just hadn’t believed in myself. That competition awarded our overall team the gold medal. I was also personally awarded the gold medal for my balance beam routine， but nothing was more rewarding than what I had accomplished on the high bar.

That one competition rewarded me with more than a gold medal. That day I not only learned how important inner strength is， but also how miraculous believing in yourself can be. I never realized that I had the ability to control my own life until that moment. I always felt my

parents， coaches， or friends were the leaders whom I followed. Sometimes you have to follow your own heart to

realize that it is possible to conquer the impossible.

平衡木項目下一位上場的是沙漠魔鬼隊的七號選手！”聽到賽場的廣播，我往觀眾席一瞧，看見家人正對我咧嘴燦笑，就等著看我的表現了。我匆匆把目光移回裁判那兒，等待他們示意。緊張、焦慮，我的心里亂作一團；平衡木可是我的強項。裁判們審視過我的姿態，示意我開始。我緩緩吸了口氣，跳上平衡木，馬上我就在那狹窄的平面上行跳自如，似乎不費吹灰之力，完全沉浸在動作中。

五歲到十一歲期間，體操占據了我的人生。每周十五個小時的訓練，這項運動把我鍛煉成一個勤奮刻苦、有目標、充滿抱負的小孩。我還記得那時候有個特殊的動作招式不知道為什么我好像總學不會。在高杠上做 “向前腹回環”是我最怕的。就算有隊友的打氣鼓勵，我也從沒完整地把最后一圈回環做好。全州的大賽快要舉行，我意識到自己可能會拖累隊伍拿不到團體金牌。我為什么就做不到呢？我是唯一學不會個中竅門的！我當時的想法是：如果做不到那看似不可能完成的動作，我就是個失敗者。

教練們把我們推向極限。練到暈厥、嘔吐是家常便飯，如果不拼命超越自己就會被視作輕言放棄的懦夫。之所以為自己做不了那個“向前腹回環”而深深自責，我想就是因為這個原因。

比賽前一天，我和教練計劃把我的那套動作做一點改動，去掉了“向前腹回環”。我們都知道這樣會給扣掉不少分，但無奈只能那么做。那是我人生中頭一次放棄。

接著那一天，我緊張得失魂落魄。……