Pressure is a privilege

7 / Pressure is a privilege TO SET THE MOOD: Aranjuez by Jorge Muñiz José Luis Duval I. With the fall semester complete, I could finally focus all my energy and attention on training for the US Championships, taking place the third week of IAP. As the stress of final projects and exams piled up during the last few weeks of the semester, I had prioritized school first, pushing training to the side. I didnt even plan on skating this season. Last season was intended to be my last. But a last-minute injury in the lead up to the 2018 US Champs crippled my preparation, mentally and physically. I had intended to withdraw, but skated through it anyways. That wasnt how I wanted to end my career. I took a long break away from the ice, and as I left for Switzerland, I used that time away from it all to let my body rest and heal. I did bring my skates with me, just in case. II. A month and a half into the semester, Spring 2018, I reached out to a Swiss skater, who I met at an international competition a few years back, to help arrange ice time for me with her coaching team. I wanted to try it out back on the ice, but on my own terms. I only skated once a week, sometimes twice or not at all. It took around an hour each way to take the train and then the bus to get to the rink from my dorm, but it was always something I looked forward to, something that felt familiar in a place where everything was new and different. Skating was a part of home, a part of me, of my life for the past 14 years. Each time I was out there on the ice, I skated with a purpose, for the joy and freedom, skating fast, jumping high, spinning faster. On my own, I played around with working on new programs too. No training regimens, workouts, or diets to follow; no competitions looming to stress over. I even had a lesson with Swiss skater Denise Biellmann, former World Champion and Olympian, and had a blast working on jumps and spins alongside one of her students. III. When I left Europe and headed to Seattle for my summer internship, I still wasnt exactly sure I would compete again. But I signed up for the 2018 Collegiate Championships that would take place in August on a whim, making a trip out of it with Shannen W. 21, who also competed for MIT. I had two months to prepare for it, but working full-time, I had to squeeze in training in the mornings, and do so on my own, without my coaches in Boston. Worse yet, the skating resources in the area were abysmal. I didnt have a car, public transportation wasnt an option in the suburbs, and the closest rinks were at least 30 minutes away. The closest full-sized one was over an hour away during the morning commute. If I wanted to skate, I needed to do it early before work, ubering to the closest rink which was roughly 60% the size of a standard NHL rink. The sessions were crowded, and I couldnt properly train or run-thru my programs. It was frustrating. I focused more on my off-ice physical fitness, and I spend more time in the gym, building back up my strength and conditioning and working with a trainer. IV. At the Collegiate Champs, I tried my best, but my inadequate on-ice preparation showed. If I wanted to qualify for the US Championships in January, I needed to fully commit. I needed to get back in shape. With the desire to end my career on a better note, I decided to give skating one final go, and registered for the US qualifying season. The rules had changed over the summer, adapting to a new Olympic cycle. The free skate would be 30 seconds shorter, with one fewer jump. Quads (that I dont have) would be restricted and a new range of points were introduced. Quality, over quantity, would be rewarded. I wouldnt have the months of the off-season training to rely on, but the new rule changes, I thought, could work to my advantage. I had one last year in Boston and a chance to train in likely the best training environment in the world, right here, with my coaches and their skating school. V. Once my internship ended, I immediately flew back to campus and settled in to a new pace of life. New classes, new apartment, new but familiar city. Luckily, I received a bye to Eastern Sectionals, the qualifier for the US Championship. I had less than 10 weeks to train new programs and get back in shape. With a late start [ For context, last season, I started preparing new programs as early as March and trained all throughout summer. ], I needed to train smart and efficiently. I dropped most of my extracurriculars, disafiliated from my fraternity, and didnt pick back up my UROP. No distractions. I would need to give it all I got. No regrets. I tried my best to prioritize skating, but it was still tough to adjust back to the MIT firehose and try to juggle it all. I still had my last few hard classes to finish up to graduate in time. Some weeks I would only have time to skate one hour, some not at all. I did a tune-up at an Intercollegiate competition as a practice run, and as Easterns approached, I tried my best to push off school a little and head to the rink 3 or 4 times a week. I tried to put in some extra hours on the weekends training at the MIT rink, squeezing in as much training as possible. I wasnt perfect, but I ended up qualifying for my 3rd consecutive senior nationals and 6th US Championships. After that, it was full steam ahead until my last final. School was back up my priority list. I tried my best to maintain the stamina I built up leading into Easterns, but then I started feeling pain in my right foot. Using that time as an excuse to rest and refocus, I took time off the ice, throwing myself instead into my psets, projects, and finals. VI. I returned back in Boston after spending a restful few days at home after the end of fall semester. For the next 4 weeks, I made certain to prioritize skating above, and cleared my schedule. Unlike the past three IAPs, I would not be taking on too much, doing an externship, or teaching for GTL. I was on the ice for 2 50-minute sessions a day, 5 days a week, with a cool-down workout in the afternoon. In the evenings, I could rest, cook, and catch up on anything else I left on the backburner the past semester. I made sure to nurture my body with sleep and healthy, hearty meals. I had the next 4 weeks to cram train, mentally and physically, and to stay injury-free. The last time I had the time to train 5 days a week without any other responsibilities or extracurriculars was the summer before I arrived at MIT. If this was to be my last season, I wanted to do it right, to fully commit, to eliminate all distractions. To focus on skating, and only skating. VII. I started adding in a third session to my training regimen, attempting more and more triple axels, more and more reputations of my programs and sections of them. Then, I started feeling discomfort in my right hip, the same hip that caused me trouble the same time the year before in the lead up to the US Champs. It was déjà vu. Horrified, I thought taking the weekend to rest would make it better. It was just as bad when I returned to the ice Monday morning. I started toning down my practices. Fewer jumps, no more triple axel attempts, fewer repetitions. I went to get acupuncture, soft tissue work, and physical therapy. I was diagnosed with rectus femoris tendonitis, most certainly an overuse injury from ramping up training too quickly. I had tried to be careful not to make the same mistake as the year before, but yet again, I put my body too much too quickly. From 2 days a week of training if I was lucky, to 5, my body was crumbling â€" a complete nightmare. I had a week to go, and my only option was to push through the pain. I had sacrificed too much already. Withdrawing was not an option. I did the prescribed exercises to stretch and strengthen it, and tried my best to nurse it as much as I could. There wasnt much else I could do at this point. In disbelief, I was stressed, anxious, and frustrated. I was quickly losing the confidence I had built up during the past few weeks of solid, hard training. I didnt want it to end my career knowing that I wasnt at my peak. I was fighting against time. VIII. When I arrived in Detroit, I wasnt sure what to expect. I had left Boston with some good practices, but I wasnt sure how my hip would hold up. My legs were already starting to wear out. But my first practice in the competition arena felt good. Maybe it was adrenaline or the excitement and energy of it all, but I was hopeful I could get through 2 more days. Just 2 more days. I was to skate 4th in the 2nd warmup in the short program Saturday morning. Im not used to competing early in the morning, but I took a much-needed, regenerative 10-minute power nap before I left for the arena. As I stepped onto the ice for the 6-minute warmup, I was a bundle of nerves, body clenched tight, more nervous than usual. This was it. The judging panel on the left, the audience seated on all sides of the rink floor-to-ceiling, a big Jumbotron up top, bright lights all around, bass-driven speakers. I tried to breathe, and remind myself to appreciate the space, embrace the moment, and treat it like a practice session. Ive put in the work and done the short program so many times before. I just needed to go out there and have fun, smile, and enjoy it. As my name was called, I took two deep breaths and smiled as I took my starting position on the ice. With my hip still a big question mark, I wasnt attempting the triple axel, but I was determined to rotate all my other jumps. Double axel, triple Lutz-triple toe, camel spin, triple flip, flying sit spin, step sequence, and the final combination spin. As I took my bows, I knew I was a bit tight, a bit cautious throughout my performance. I felt relieved, though, to have gotten through the first segment of the competition. I could rest a bit easier that night going into the free skate. After the mens event, I watched the ladies and pairs free skates and was inspired by their fight and grit. I knew the free skate wasnt going to be easy tomorrow, but I would have to somehow find that fire in my belly, the will to fight to the very end. IX. The next morning, my body was starting to give out, legs exhausted, physically and mentally drained from the long week. I hoped to carry the momentum from the short program the day before. I just had one more program to go, one that I would just go for it and give my all. This would be it, my final hurrah. Last to skate in my warmup â€" my least favorite skating order â€" I was nervous, a little less than yesterday, but nonetheless, still a bundle of nerves. I told myself to take one element at a time. I could rest all I wanted, only after it was over. Whatever happened, I wanted to end without any regrets. Once the music began, I just let my body go for it, element after element. By the middle, my legs started to wear out. Internally, I was screaming to myself to get it together, to focus, to block out all those negative voices telling me to give up, to will myself to push, push, push, to find that extra ounce of anything left in my body. I put my hand down on my fifth jump, and as I skated into my sixth one, my mind went numb. I popped it, missing the element completely. Angry, I used that to power myself through the rest of the program with the meager strength I had left. As the final note faded into the background, I was too weak to even take a full bow. That was all I had, and then some. I was angry about the miss. Right before I stepped off the ice and entered the kiss-and-cry, I turned around and tried to take it all in: the arena, the audience, the ice, the opportunity, the sacrifices, the journey. If this was to be my last competition, my swan song, I wanted to make sure I cherished that moment. As the final marks flashed on the Jumbotron, they were merely numbers to me. I shook my head. Instead, the memories of the last few weeks, the past season, my last four years fighting to pursue both skating and school â€" all of it flashed by in an instant. I was nearly in tears backstage, after embracing my coaches, grateful for their trust and support the past 4 years and, most of all, their belief in me. X. I flew back to Boston that evening, took a nice hot shower, and fell to bed. I was so mentally and physically drained I didnt have enough left to process the last few days, the last few weeks. I was merely glad to get away from it all. If this was to be the end of one path, one long journey of my life, would I be content? Whats next? Ive achieved my highest of highs, and lowest of lows, in this sport. Its opened up the world, taking me across the nation and world, and yet forced me to face the darkest of nightmares. I wasnt even sure Id continue skating when I stepped foot for orientation the first week of school. If it happened, if I still loved it, if I still had time for it, I would go for it. Not for the fame, the titles, or the glory. But for myself. And yet Ive been fortunate to push myself to study and compete full-time each year since. But its nearly driven me insane. Older and with less time and energy to focus on taking care of my body, Ive had more injuries the past 3.5 years than my last 10.5 years combined. Mentally, Ive never felt more discouraged in my life than struggling through the wee hours of the night to study for impossible exams or complete impossible psets. Beyond all that, its been a huge burden to finance both skating and school, two quite pricey endeavors. Its relentless sacrifice, day in, day out. Sometimes Im not even sure if it was worth it. I had a strong season my final year of high school, and could have happily moved on from there. I couldve pursued more research, tacked on more classes, saved a lot of money, participated in more opportunities on campus, and spared myself from the physical and mental stress and burden of it all. But then, knowing myself, I didnt want to think back on my career and ask, what if? XI. Watching my competitors and buddies that I grew up skating and competing with since I was 6 head off to the World Championships, Grand Prix circuit, or the Olympics, its difficult to think how might my skating career would have turned out had I chosen a different school and prioritized skating only? When you dont have enough time or energy for both, its hard to accept that you wont be the best at both. I constantly remind myself that thats okay, because I still have the opportunity to try. To try to push myself mentally and physically. To challenge myself. To come out the next 4 years at MIT stronger, tougher, and more resilient than when I arrived. I neednt be the most accomplished athlete in the arena, or the smartest engineer in the classroom. In fact, Id rather surround myself with better athletes, stronger engineers, and feed off their energy and optimism and brilliance, and learn from them. But was it worth all the sacrifices that Ive put myself through, the self-imposed pressure to perform, to deliver, to achieve? The biggest of spotlights, the most rigorous of semesters? To try to do it all? XII. So many thoughts and what-ifs continue to clutter â€" even haunt â€" my mind. Its difficult to silence them. With time to reflect and step away from both the MIT bubble and skating world before the spring semester starts, I think back to the times when I was young, as I obsessed over skating, when my parents would constantly remind me that theres more to life than the sport, than wining titles or going to the Olympics. An athletic career is so short-lived, they argued, that I needed to have other dreams too. School could be one of those dreams. If this marks the end of my skating career, I think I can be okay with that. It wasnt perfect, it wasnt all that I dreamed of, I havent achieved everything Id set off to as that wide-eyed and ambitious 6 year old, but I gave it my best shot. Whats next? As I approach the end of my undergraduate career, I try to remind myself theres more to life than both skating and school. Whatever that may be, its always hard for me to grapple with uncertainty. I want to make the most of it while I still can, to take it moment by moment â€" and dare to dream even bigger. Check out my feature on MIT News written by Kailey Tse-Harlow and a video produced by Stephanie Tran for the Division of Student Life!

Professional Essay Types - What You Need to Know

<h1>Professional Essay Types - What You Need to Know</h1><p>Writing an expert exposition is one of the most significant assignments that you should do. Try not to fear composing since composing can open numerous entryways throughout your life. Be that as it may, recollect, your prosperity relies upon how well you set up your essay.</p><p></p><p>Academic composing is otherwise called abstract composition. This incorporates sorting out the exercises and different subtleties from an educational program that ought to be remembered for a course. Most instructors require this kind of composing before they will acknowledge an understudy into the course. This exposition likewise fills in as your own announcement for the school or college.</p><p></p><p>There are four unique kinds of papers that can be submitted for assessment. These are the full-length, keynote, proposal, and synopsis. Each of these have various prerequisites, which you should take a gander at on the off chance that you need to compose a fantastic essay.</p><p></p><p>A full-length paper may incorporate a start, center, and end. It as a rule incorporates the rundown of the subject, primary thoughts, central matters, and supporting realities. You should ensure that you use sentences that are linguistically right. Abstain from utilizing intensifiers are utilized excessively. One of the most significant things you should do when composing an expert paper is to abstain from composing long sentences.</p><p></p><p>The center part will contain the focuses and contentions that you need to make in your article. You should give the peruser data so they can comprehend your contention. The central matters will be trailed by the supporting facts.</p><p></p><p>When composing a proposal, you should break down certain components of your subject. You should list the focuses you need to help your case. Sum up the article. What's more, use it as a showing device or schoolwork for your students.</p><p></p><p>When you need to take a school selection test, you should set up your exposition for it. You should compose an expert paper with the goal that you can get a fantastic score.</p>

College Essay That Starts With a Question - Start a Conversation

<h1>College Essay That Starts With a Question - Start a Conversation</h1><p>It is the start of the school exposition that begins it with an inquiry and closures it with an announcement. The start of the article is the place it begins to show your authority of certain subjects.</p><p></p><p>What I have discovered when composing an exposition, is that it is ideal to begin with an inquiry. Subsequent to doing this for some time you will be progressively alright with this kind of paper. This is an extraordinary time to show the peruser why you are an authority in the subject you are expounding on. There are such a significant number of things that can turn out badly in a paper, however an inquiry is generally one of the primary things that will go wrong.</p><p></p><p>The dominant part of understudies write in an organization where they just answer questions. As an essayist you need to show how energetic you are about the t heme you are expounding on. You need to show how much information you have about the subject, and how you have a more profound comprehension of the subject.</p><p></p><p>One of the most well-known issues is the essayist looking down on an individual, or gathering of individuals. We as a whole realize that it is difficult to begin toward the start of a discussion, and understudies do this by starting their exposition with an inquiry. It is smarter to begin toward the finish of a story, since that is when individuals have most inquiries. You have to have responds to for the inquiries that you have posed at the beginning.</p><p></p><p>Another issue is the point at which an essayist says something and afterward recounts to the peruser a story. The most ideal approach to recount to a story is by indicating what your creative mind has to do with it. Rather than saying something like 'I saw three individuals stroll over the road', your story can say 'Three individuals strolled over the road, wearing red'.</p><p></p><p>A enormous issue for understudies is that they work not feasible as opposed to beginning with it. They will never discover it when it is worked out, and will never find out about it. It isn't in every case simple to work out the entire inquiry, since it might be difficult to consider and think about an adequate answer. At the point when you work it out, it is simpler to think about a sufficient answer.</p><p></p><p>To finish up, an exposition that begins with an inquiry is perhaps the best papers that can be composed. A genuine paper that begins with an inquiry can transform into a genuine exposition that is worth reading.</p>