Afraid to Fail

 It was in the spring of 1996, Sa’Riya’s first time ever on a track. She could literally smell the clay. Her first experience ever running was from a doctor when she was just a baby and too afraid to get a shot. Stretching, she searched for her mother and father in the stands but only noticed her best friend’s family who never missed a moment. The first phase of childhood is overcoming your fears, this was Sa’Riya’s moment. Nervous, she dreaded the thrill of competition, it was like a rollercoaster ride that she’d been too afraid to participate in until now. Her race was next and still there was no sign of mom and dad. Nausea started to set in, right along with doubt and how she would be talked about like a dog if she lost. Overhearing the announcer call last call for 800 meter runners, she felt her heart drop. The butterflies in her stomach were flying wild. This was it, her first race. Lacing up her track spikes, she noticed that most of the runners in her heat had no socks on while she’d been trying to make a fashion statement. This showed her lack of understanding when it came to wind resistance. It also proved which team had been well coached, but the fear of failure could drive any young kid to victory, and could drive anyone afraid of it to want to be successful no matter what they had on. Her heat was up, she stood tall on the track while her teammates looked on encouraging her. She nearly tripped while being called to the line, “Runners to your mark...get set...” POW! They were off to the races. Off to a slow start, Sa’Riya held steady in fourth place, she regretted wearing heavy socks because she could feel them weighing her down. Breathing in her nose and out of her mouth, she eased her way into third place while approaching the second lap. Her eyes were heavily focused on the front runner. Keeping her pace well into the second lap, she knew she had to pick it up. Her fear of failure gave her a second wind, right along with another ounce of strength to be neck and neck with the runner in first place. With one-hundred meters to go, she kicked it in down the home stretch and could literally feel the energy of the home crowd cheering her on... she won. Vomiting on the grass, and overwhelmed with anxiety, her fear of failure drove her little body to the max. She fell face first in her own vomit and didn’t move until her teammates rushed to pick her up. Noticing her dad’s face out of the corner of her eye, she quickly straightened up. She did it, she faced her fear and officially became a runner. Her fear of failure brought the beast out of her. Her fear of failure turned her into a champion. First place prize for Sa’Riya in her first race, this very moment caused her to never look back. She faced her fear.

Afraid to Fail.