My leg is on fire in pain.

I groaned and pushed my bike off me, staring at my

leg that was already swelling and turning purple. My coach looked concerned
as she helped me off the rock garden and picked up my bike. Tears stung in
my eyes, but I forced them down. When I joined the mountain biking team, I
pictured a highlight reel of soaring over obstacles and crossing finish lines.
Reality hit me very swiftly, when at my first practice I took a tumble onto a
gigantic rock garden. I got back on my bike, and finished practice. The whole
car ride home all I could think was, “I can never do that again.” Thankfully, that
feeling did not stick, and I was able to think about how exciting mountain
biking was going to be, and how much fun the older riders on the team
seemed to have. I thought about how thrilling it would be to soar over the rock
gardens like I had pictured. With those thoughts in mind, I nervously went
back to another practice.

After a few traumatic, and often injury-riddled rides, I tried my first race. Even
though I did as much pushing as riding, I managed to finish at the back of the
pack. Despite my lack of skill and speed, I actually enjoyed riding. I wanted to
get better and be faster. I realized I was going to have to put in extra work to
improve. My dad gave me a book about pro mountain biker Ned Overend and
I was hooked. The book became my bible, and helped me discover all sorts of
exercises to help with my own technique. I spent countless nights in front of
my house hopping up and down curbs, balancing on my bike, and learning
proper weight distribution. Experienced riders and my coaches gave me
advice and tips. They helped me improve my technique and technical ability.
My dad took me on extra training rides. I entered and finished every race that
season. By the end of the season I was much more confident on a bike and
was able to stay in the middle of the pack. I worked hard to be fit and was
excited for the next season to start. My sophomore year was approaching and
I was ready.

I wanted to share what I learned with a new crop of riders, especially other
girls. Unfortunately the team was 90% male. It was intimidating to go out on a
bike and be one of the few females. I made a conscious effort to encourage
and recruit other girls onto the team. About midway through my sophomore
year, I began taking more of a leadership role, even starting to lead some of
the rides. The coaches noticed and asked me to be a team captain. I cannot
tell you how happy and proud I was at that moment.

In the fall, I will enter my senior year as a three time team captain. I have
consistently finished in the top 10 in the state and never missed a race. I am
one of only five girls on the team and I am now confident competing. I learned
how hard work and persistence can overcome obstacles in sports, school, or
life. I learned valuable leadership skills. Most importantly though, I learned
that sometimes I have to be brave, take a chance, and put myself out there.
Another activity I have enjoyed all four years is marching band. I took this
courage and decided to run for band president, and I won! Accepting the
challenge of mountain biking has helped me grow, not only as a rider, but as a
leader and a person. I look forward to continuing my growth on your campus.