~
Wind whips across the brown and gold high Wyoming plains, empty except for a herd of antelope. Lean, fast, and strong despite their small stature, these regal animals extend into the horizon seemingly unaware of their dominance and power. They are not a well-loved and admired creature of the wild, but they should take time to seriously consider their strengths.
It was my turn to hit the uneven bars. “Watch out for the
male judge,” the other girls warned me. “He’s tough.” Not one to get overly
nervous, I sprinted towards the springboard to tackle the routine I had been
working on all year.
It is said antelope are the fastest member of the animal
kingdom. Now that’s impressive. Why do people make such a big fuss over the
other critters such as the elusive wolf, the blocky bison that just stands
there lump-like, or the ever-feared grizzly bear?
Bar was my best event but I only managed a fourth place
finish at the state championship a few weeks back. Maybe I wasn’t not as good
as I thought I was. But I didn’t get overly nervous; I just went for it. I run,
jumped, swung, casted. Multiple times a series of maneuvers took me from high bar
to low.
Antelope fill the field. They dominate it. You don’t see any
moose or grizzly bears here do you? Look who owns this prairie.
I casted, extended, swung, twisted, dismounted, and stuck
it. That rocked. Arms overhead, I first turned to salute the judges on the
left. The male just smiled and nodded his head as if to say, “That’s the best
thing I’ve seen all day.” I turned to the right to salute the other judges, my
confidence elevated by the silent endorsement from the male judge. I didn’t
know it at the time, well maybe I had an inkling, I am the regional uneven bars
champion.
~
More gymnastics essays
- Moment of awakening: http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2018/10/awakening.html
- Gymnastics dreams: http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2016/11/gymnastics-dreams.html
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