The Grand Swim Meet by Riley

The Grand Swim Meet by Riley - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

Something that makes me proud is having a happy, enthusiastic team around me. That is exactly what I had when my swim team and I earned our way into state for swimming last season. Earning our way to state was the best thing we could’ve asked for. My team and I had worked so hard and to finally make it that far and to have overcome so much as a team made it all that more special. When all of this happened I couldn’t have been more proud for myself or my team. We not only beat the odds of not winning but also being able to bring home the proof of what we had done.
The reason I chose this accomplishment is because it doesn’t just focus on me but also focuses on the people around me who helped me get that far. It may not be the biggest accomplishment but it is by far the most important. Reason being, this event wasn’t just for me but also for my mom. She passed in 2014 from a 10 year battle with brain cancer. It was a really hard time and still is but it also was a huge motivator because all she ever wanted was to see me grow up into a fine young women. By getting to earn our way into state, it gave me the satisfaction of knowing that wherever she is, my mom is smiling down on me and is proud. Also having that feeling that if you do put forth the work it will always prevail. My mother was an amazing, well respected, wonderful woman who not only taught me the right way to live but also showed a lot of my friends and teammates that it’s okay to fail as long as you keep trying.
Even though this accomplishment doesn’t seem like much it makes me so proud to know that we not only defeated the odds and beat everyone out with our skills and hard work but also proved that sometimes a little can take you a long way. Being able to know that this event in my high school swimming career may not be the biggest is okay because it is the most important. I got to go to state with some of my best friends and also got to go for my family. They mean the world to me and being able to have them look at me and know I have done an exceptional job with the help of my team makes me come to peace. My team and I are very close. The bonds we have will never be broken. Going to state is not only the best accomplishment we have had as a team in a long time but also one that we all can give self-gratitude also. We made it as a team because of all the hard work and dedication we put in throughout the season. Going to state was an amazing, humbling experience. It will be one that my team and I will never forget.