Narrative Essay About Gymnastics

There they stood, mocking me. Made of metal, fiberglass, and wires, the bars wouldn’t seem that terrifying, but there they were. And I was terrified. The skill didn’t seem too difficult, a simple swing completely around the bar, but something about it caused quaking knees and sweaty palms. Giants were the skill that would put me on top, that would help our team drastically, but my mind was racing – the ten seconds of courage would be too much. I was snapped out of my dream world when a teammates bubbly floor music began playing. The worn leather grips resting in my hands needed to be buckled and chalked, allowing me to again face the harrowing skill that lay just out of reach. The skill was like the edge of a cliff– you have enough courage

That’s the beauty of gymnastics– you never get a break. On the car ride there, I thought about everything – the team, my own goals, and of course, the giant. Already nervous as I entered the gym, my mind couldn’t focus on anything but bars– the place that had caused bloody wrists, chalky clothes, and an abundance of tears. The warm up we did every practice (a compilation of jumping jacks, high knees, toe punches and more) seemed almost worthless – I was just going through the motions, not feeling the satisfying stretch in my muscles or the quick beating of my heart. Different groups were formed according to skill level, and mine was assigned to bars – fantastic. A shaky breath escaped my lips; I thought about making up an excuse to avoid the dreaded place – something along the lines of ripped hands, or the ankle I had sprained two weeks prior aching, but knew it would be in vain. Nerves on end, I carefully tightened and chalked my grips, making sure they were well placed toward the bottom of my wristband, and that there was no chalk underneath the leather. Stepping up onto the mat, I jumped onto the low bar, sending up a tuft of chalk. Swinging to gain momentum, I completed a simple kip, followed by a handstand, and finally two giants with bent knees, unpointed toes, and an arched back; I always prepared for the high bar by doing a set of giants on the low bar, to stretch my shoulders and remember the motion of the