Personal Narrative Essay: Gravel As A Tennis Player

Gravel is among a motorcyclist’s greatest enemies. With only two wheels to stay up, traction is the greatest asset. Once, I ventured onto an unknown, hilly road, under anticipating a sharp turn ahead. When I got over the hill I saw I was headed towards gravel on the side of the road, with no way to stop the inevitable. The next thing I knew I was bleeding onto the road with ripped jeans; I couldn’t process the fall until I returned home from the emergency room. Because of my wounds, I was unable to walk for over a week. My family, friends, and even my friends’ families told me to give up riding, that it’s not worth the risk. This could not be the answer; fighting the fear based advice, I was riding again three weeks later.
Had I encountered this situation three years ago, I would’ve run from the potential of pain and given up. My experiences have made me even more resilient over the last three years.
Tennis has especially had an integral role in developing my character.
In one case, I was fighting to win the league tournament for my school and losing 1 to 5; my opponent only needed four points to win. Around me I saw my team, coach, and the other team standing against the fence watching me play. I began to repeat a mantra in my head, “I’m going to win.” By sheer determination, I won the match. At the end of the tennis season, my coach said I was most resilient player he’s seen, and awarded me as the Most Valuable Player. This wasn’t an isolated incident - I was often playing an opponent much more experienced than myself, found myself falling behind, and bounced back in the
end.
Whether it be the gravel that throws me, an opponent that stops me, or any other hurdle that comes my way, I will always attempt to fight back to victory. Nelson Mandela has rightly said, “The glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”