Final+Paper+for+Writer's+Workshop

Everything happens for a Reason I guess you could say everything happens for a reason- I am proof of this. This story is not necessarily a happy one, but it describes who I am. I was a cheerleader since I was six years old and I loved every minute of it. Once I got to middle school you could find me on multiple teams at once because I never wanted to stop. I trained for hours each week to make my body do flips that it was not to fond of. However, I kept pushing because my dream was to be on the Varsity squad at my high school, Hunterdon Central Regional High School. This squad was in the top ten for the past fifteen years at the national level, which made it extremely difficult to get on. I went through the tryout process and I believed I had done my absolute best. My hard work for so many years actually paid off. I, as well as two other freshman, got on the Varsity squad our freshman year of high school. Being a freshman on this team was unheard of before this point, but the coach saw potential in us and gave us the chance. We were thrilled. We worked extremely hard and had an incredible year. We ended up third in the nation and the coach praised us for putting in such a huge part of this. Sophomore year came around and I had to try out again. This try out was easier to go through because the coach already knew all of my abilities. I got on the team again and the year began. The year began just as any normal year. I went to class, dance and cheer practice and hung out with friends. Life was great. However, in October, tragedy struck for me. I was stunting one day as the main base. Being the main base means that you hold majority of the weight of the flyer while the other base and back spot are there more for support. While stunting everyone heard a noise that I am not sure how to explain. My best explanation could be it sounded as if 30 people were cracking their backs at the exact same time. It could have been much worse than that. People’s reactions suggested worse, but I believe I was in shock and could not think or hear properly at this point. Everyone could hear it no matter where they were in the gym and they all stopped and stared straight at me. The second it happened I started having issues breathing, I began to feel light headed and I was in pain, that I do not believe I could describe or even relive enough to do that. I kept repeating “Please get her out of my hands. Please get her out of my hands” as tears were streaming down my face. I did not want my flyer to fall, but I also could feel my body giving out from under me. They successfully got her out of my hands, after a great struggle, and I fell straight to the floor. I could not move and all I did was cry. I could not explain what happened to anyone, all I knew is nothing would be the same. I went through a month of tests, but no doctor could explain what had happened to me. I went through multiple X-rays, CAT scans and many other tests. In fact, because they could not find the problem many doctors believed I was lying. One doctor actually took my mother aside and asked, “Does your daughter claim she is seriously injured often?” My mom replied, “Never, why?” The doctor then replied, “Well considering we cannot seem to find the cause of her injury I felt the need to ask if she could be acting dramatic”. My mom was stunned and hurt, but once she realized I heard the entire thing she felt worse. She saw in my eyes how truly hurt I was. I was now at my lowest point because even a doctor did not believe my injury. I felt miserable. It was so much worse at practice because all I could do is sit there and watch my friends do the routine, laugh and have fun. I was alone. Every time I would bend even as small as an inch backwards it was an instant stream of tears. I hated this because I was never someone who cried, especially not in front of people. I waited and waited for something to happen or for someone to give me an answer. I went through physical therapy for over a month and nothing was making it better. Eventually, after a month of confusion we ended up at a chiropractor, out of desperation, that did my first X-ray standing up. It made a world of a difference. It finally made sense. When I would lie down it would straighten perfectly and when I stand it would fall in on its self and pinch multiple nerves. The chiropractor was able to adjust it and to this it will still bother me sometimes, but I know how to fix it. This whole experience made me much weaker physically. I could no longer handle as much high intensity training which made it difficult for me to be on the team. The girls, whom I had believed were my friends, now hated me and would purposely injure me after because I was “weak”. The girls would come up behind me, push me in the halls to sprain my ankles and knees, and walk the other direction while I, in the middle of a crowd, attempted to not get trampled. Once I could pull myself to the side of the hall I would have to sit there and wait until once again I could hobble to the nurse. The nurse knew my story, but there was nothing she could do because I refused to give up names. I did not because at the time I truly believed this would only make my life worse. I made it through that cheerleading year bruised in many ways, both mentally and physically, but I do not regret this at all. This really made me so much stronger mentally and taught me whom my real friends are. My injury, however annoying, opened up a whole new world for me. I had coached cheerleading while I was on the team, but it was a team that did not compete. Now I had more time and was able to coach a team that competed. These girls are the reason I realized my true passion, teaching. I loved coaching them and watching their expressions when they finally were able to understand what I had said. The girls and I worked together and two years in a row these girls won second in the nation. I could not have been prouder. Like I said everything happens for a reason. My injury was a horrible experience, but I can now say happily that it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.