I believe hard work and a strong work ethic to be imperative in achieving success and finding genuine happiness. While it may cause stress and pain in the short term, obtaining the ability to push through and overcome obstacles that every person faces in life leads to long term happiness and success. Growing up, I moved several times, and as a result I have faced multiple uncomfortable, difficult situations. Therefore, I have grown in character, leaving positive impacts on my relationships, school work, athletics, and more. Specifically, I improved immensely in cross country this last season, a sport I thoroughly enjoy and am extremely dedicated to.
While running is a stress reliever, when the majority of individuals think about running, their response is to run
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However, during the Districts race, around the beginning of the third mile, I experienced a pain in my side unlike any pain I had ever felt before. It was a difficult race to finish, as I wanted to give up. It would have been acceptable if I gave up, as we later learned I experienced a diaphragm spasm. Instead, I remembered the goal I set for myself, to be fully present in every workout and race, and to push through every obstacle I faced. So, I ran on, finished with a career personal record. I decreased my time by over thirty seconds with excruciating pain in my side! Finishing that race was amazing enough to me, but when I heard my time it was a beautiful moment. All the hours I spent sitting in freezing ice water, choosing fruit over ice cream, and forcing myself to finish the dreaded, hot track workouts did not feel so awful. I experienced the wonderful feeling of seeing all my hard, dedicated work pay off. Therefore, I joined the varsity to State, where unforgettable memories were made. That season inspired me to work harder in every aspect of my life, and stick with it even when the challenges appear to be too