Silken's story is one of courage, perseverance and the triumph of the human spirit. Silken retired from rowing in 1999 with three Olympic medals, and since then has continued to inspire, encouraging people to dream, live in the moment and embrace failure as a stepping stone to success. In her book “Unsinkable”, laumann reveals not only new insights into her athletic success and triumph over physical adversity, but also the intense personal challenges of her past and the fierce determination
Finally, Bethany Hamilton’s memoir follows Zinsser’s advice to “Think small” as each chapter switches from past to present. The chapters have short titles that show the reader if it is past or present. These memories are important to the reader and author of the memoir because there would not be a memoir without it. For example, after Bethany got out of the hospital, she immediately started training for surfing once she got out of the hospital. This memory is a very strong and inspiring because she learns how to tie her shoes with one hand and surf with one hand.
Jenifer describes being fearful of her step father’s outbursts and made a concussions decision to marry a man that was not this way. Jenifer describes not feeling right since her move to Maine. She says that she is unmotivated, tiered, cries often, and feels hopeless. While she feels this way when asked she says that she does not want to harm herself but does state that sometimes wants to fall asleep and not wake up. Jenifer did undergo Psychiatric evaluation and was diagnosed with Major depression, that is why we are all here today.
She was sleeping when one night an attacker had broken into her apartment, a knife was placed on her throat and was raped. Jennifer at the time of the attack was trying to study her attacker’s face, she was trying to pay attention to the detail and if she survived she could help the police catch the attacker. Jennifer was lucky enough that she did escape out the back door by fixing her attacker a drink. The detective and Jennifer worked together to composite a sketch of a face of the attacker. Then a photo-line up and the physical lineup was introduced and Jennifer kept identifying the same person.
You are Susanna Boyd, an English colonist living in Virginia. Just like most people in your town, your parents came to America as indentured servants and worked very hard for seven years growing tobacco for a rich family in Virginia. When your parents’ contracts were up, they received clothes, tools and money to buy new land. They have a small farm in Western Virginia where they grow corn and raise pigs. You have grown up with plants and animals your whole life, and you are looking forward to getting married and raising a family on your own farm.
Despite her loss of an arm, she still continued to pursue her dream of becoming a professional surfer (“Bethany”). Bethany Hamilton did not see her loss of an arm as a disability or a burden, instead she thought of herself as unique from everyone else. This shows that Hamilton’s dream positively affected her because she truly wanted to become a professional, so she worked her hardest to make that dream a reality. She did not let other people’s opinions to deteriorate her; instead she thought positively and kept her mind towards becoming a professional surfer. Not only did she get past her disability, but she “strives to remain a symbol of hope and inspiration by touching lives through her platform of faith and sport” (Viti).
Even as a child, she had troubles such as developing later than the rest of the girls and her gymnastics coach jabbing her with a stick to get her splits flat. Once she is finally good at something, uneven bars, she messes up at a competition. This humiliates her because she is not the representative, which is what she wanted so badly. Then as she gets older, she grows and can no
Maddy’s story is one of a battle with sudden depression as the move from high school to college became overwhelming. She missed her family and found the intense academic and athletic demands, things that had always come so easily, unbearable. Madison was accustomed to being a high achiever in the classroom and on the track. By most peoples’ standards Madison’s performance at college was still stellar, but she wasn’t meeting the demands she placed on
This is critical to her growth, for it helps her tolerate her parents by seeing good qualities in them, keep hope when her opportunities dwindle, and find faith in herself when she cannot place faith in anyone else. Finally when Jennette becomes a young adult, she takes ahold of her life, leaves her impoverished parents, and travels to New York alone for journalism
The social structures and environment in the novel relate to the social model. The judges assumed this social event would accommodate Bryant’s differences and change the social structure and attitudes towards TBI around the United States gymnastics community. It allowed individuals to hear the story of Beverly Bryant as a survivor and learn about her experience. One of Bryant’s top three goals were to be able to travel alone on a plane. The day before she “earned her wings,” Bryant was traveling back home with her judging colleagues from another gymnastics conference.
Anne Marie MacDonalds novel Fall on your Knee’s raises a multitude of questions that are significant in the upbringing of a child. One key concept that is brought up is during the talk amongst the Taylor’s, after they give advice to a child. ““Good, I told him to ask you.” Adelaide believes that all children should have enough grown-ups around who love them so that one can tell them to fight, one can tell them not to and one can tell them not to worry so much.” This quote, holds great significance within the story given the times a child has required the moral, or educational guidance from an adult.
(pg 241). This shows that Jeanette is progressing more than Mirabella in their adaptation into human culture. Finally, in stage three the girls learn to ride bicycles. In this stage, Jeanette learns to ride the bicycle unlike Mirabella who just chases after the girls roaring their names as they ride past her.
The theme of “My Favorite Chaperone” by Jean Davies Okimoto is, that life in America gives us more opportunities and is a place that can give us hope. In the exposition of the story Aunt Madinia marries a man from America named Bob Campbell which is how they end up coming to America so, they can be closer to Aunt Madinia. The conflict is that Mya wants permission to go to the dance. One day at school Mya is called to the front office because, Nurzhan has gotten into a fight at his school and they need Mya to call one of her parents to come talk about this. Mya is able to reach her father.
Carol made many parental mistakes. One mistake she made was taking advantage of Melinda for her own benefit. When Carol and Melinda go see John, Carol wants Melinda to convince John to get them a portable TV; “ My mother knew. “See if you can get him to buy the TV,” she said. “I bet they’ve got one for sale right nearby” (124).
They didn’t know what to do when they found out that she was pregnant; they were young, they didn’t have any money, they were scared, they didn’t want to tell anybody, they didn’t know what to do, and the only option that they could see was to terminate the pregnancy. So that’s what they decided to do… they went to a clinic, they had the procedure done, and at first they felt relieved that all their problems had gone away. But then something happened that they did not expect… and that’s over the next few weeks, which turned into a few months, they began to feel an intense sadness… and a pain and an agony and a guilt that wouldn’t go away. They didn’t know what to do, so they finally went to see a counselor; they said look — tell us what to do, we just don’t know, and the counselor made a suggestion. The counselor said here’s what you need to do — stop acting like you had a procedure, and act like you had a death in the family.”
