August 22

I can't recall a specific person telling me something that really moved me, but i know someone with a story that did. Joan Benoit Samuelson is an Olympic gold medalist in the women's marathon. Before she was a gold medalist, she was injured. She broke her femur while skiing and had to switch sports to running. While I didn't change sports, I have had to deal with many injuries that changed my ability to do what I wanted. Samuelson has been my inspiration through all of my injuries. Talking to her, you get a sense of strength and determination. Although she has never told me her story, she displays characteristics of them and has become stronger from it; I want to be just like that. Her story and her ability to move past her injuries has pushed me to become a better person and hopefully a more successful athlete.