Personal Narrative Essay: Gravel As A Tennis Player

Gravel is among a motorcyclist’s greatest enemies. With only two wheels to stay up, traction is the greatest asset. Once, I ventured onto an unknown, hilly road, under anticipating a sharp turn ahead. When I got over the hill I saw I was headed towards gravel on the side of the road, with no way to stop the inevitable. The next thing I knew I was bleeding onto the road with ripped jeans; I couldn’t process the fall until I returned home from the emergency room. Because of my wounds, I was unable to walk for over a week. My family, friends, and even my friends’ families told me to give up riding, that it’s not worth the risk. This could not be the answer; fighting the fear based advice, I was riding again three weeks later.
Had I encountered this situation three years ago, I would’ve run from the potential of pain and given up. My experiences have made me even more resilient over the last three years.
In one case, I was fighting to win the league tournament for my school and losing 1 to 5; my opponent only needed four points to win. Around me I saw my team, coach, and the other team standing against the fence watching me play. I began to repeat a mantra in my head, “I’m going to win.” By sheer determination, I won the match. At the end of the tennis season, my coach said I was most resilient player he’s seen, and awarded me as the Most Valuable Player. This wasn’t an isolated incident - I was often playing an opponent much more experienced than myself, found myself falling behind, and bounced back in the