Writing Personal Essay Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. f this sounds like you, then please share your story. | enter the rink; a frigid breeze of air blows around me. The execution of swift, coordinated, sophisticated movements builds power and momentum to my blades, gliding as I cut across the icy platform. | realize my feet are sensationless, unable to feel the pain from the countless blisters forming around my ankles. Since the very first time | laced on my skates ten years ago, short-track speed-skating shaped my life by teaching me perseverance and patience. | committed to five-hour practice sessions, six times a week, skating countless laps, overcoming pain and failure in exchange for success. Despite the physical and mental strains, short-track is uniquely attractive. Waking up to my four-o-clock alarm and ending the day with skating was simply not enough. | was ambitious, | was hungry in reaching the finish line first. | viewed recordings of myself, comparing them to world- class athletes and mimicking their forms to improve myself. Accomplishing nationally recognized titles, | developed stronger passions, envisioning grander goals: to become an Olympian. However, after earning my then-greatest achievement, the gold medal of the 2014 National Junior Championships as the youngest competitor, | received career-ending diagnoses: Osgood Schlatter, patella tendonitis, and chronic meniscus tearing. Devastated and in total disbelief, | returned to practice. Despite these diagnoses, | could not bring myself to give up on the Youth Olympic Games, of which | was one of the few remaining qualifiers. Although I was driven to continue to compete, my legs no longer responded to my mental ‘commands. | felt crushing frustration that my body would not keep up. The tears drenching down my face from the excruciating knee pain was mistaken as sweat. Despite many interventions including therapy, acupuncture, and medicine—reality struck me. My dreams shattered and the ten years’ worth of sacrifices were made in vain. | found myself adrift in the world, lacking the motivation to tackle routine and daily challenges. My custom skates, ‘once proudly displayed in my room, were a constant reminder of my inability to skate. A sibling of my former teammate wanted to skate like the rest of our team, yet he was autistic, encountering preconceived notions of his inability to skate, simply because he was “different”. Recognizing this problem, | reached out with open hands, desiring to teach this child how to skate. I challenged myself by creating practice sessions for the disabled returning not as an athlete, but with a strong sense of fostering a better community. ‘A few months later, | found myself at my local ice rink tying skates of the disabled athletes. | recognized that familiar sensation of fear and anxiety as the amateur disabled athletes, with their teeth clenched and brows furrowed, failed to control their balance. | got flashbacks of myself “crawling” onto short-track for the first time, more than predictably awful. What was hindsight so humorously embarrassing and gravely grim ten years ago was that | simply could not stand on my own feet too. As | empathize with their situations, my simple gestures changed their perceptions of me. | grasped their warm hands, putting the athletes at ease. My new mission was suddenly clear: providing a welcoming environment for disabled athletes, aiding their development of agility and concentration, and improving their mental health through physical activity. My passion for skating lead me to establish Outreach 101 three-years ago, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the disabled community. By securing financial support from local disabled associations, | have been able to increase the number of initiatives and methods of support for the disabled—children battling autism, Down Syndrome, and ADHD—with additional practice sessions. While | am no longer skating ‘competitively, | fee! immense pride in sending my disabled athletes to compete in their own sanctioned meet each year. Short-rack speed skating remains an integral part of my life as I continue valuing the notion of giving back to the community through personal talent.