Giving It Our All

Skybreaker down the bank THF Skybreaker down the bank THF

Last night I watched the 2014 Figure Skating Championships in Boston, MA. I have always been a huge fan of figure skating, especially right now, considering my friend Brooklee Han has been chosen to represent Australia in the ladies individual figure skating for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. I can’t even imagine what’s going through her mind right now, but I am so unbelievably thrilled for her and cannot wait to see how she does!

Back to the Boston Championships, I watched this one girl, Mirai Nagasu, the 2014 Bronze Medalist, who apparently did not get chosen to go to Sochi. She skated her heart out in Boston, and seemed to be a crowd favorite, from the overwhelming applause and standing ovation prior to her performance. She skated to the middle of the rink, took her position, and you could see her crying, while trying to hold it together. She was overwrought by emotion, and that moment actually brought tears to my eyes. I don’t know this girl. I’ve never seen this girl skate. Really, I had no connection to her. But watching her stand out there, being supported and cheered on by thousands was astounding. You knew she gave it her everything, and she worked incredibly hard to get to where she is today. She clearly had her sights set on Sochi, and yet this was not the year.

2014 Bronze Medalist Mirai Nagasu

Watching Mirai skate her heart out last night got me thinking about the avid competitors and athletes in the world of eventing. Those of us who want nothing more than to be the best riders we can be. Those of us who are desperate to wake up in the morning, go feed our horses, and ride from sun up till sun down. Those of us who are anxious, excited and thrilled to compete every other weekend. Horses are our lives, and this is it, and we want nothing else, or not much more.

But then life gets in the way, and some of us have families, and have full time jobs that have nothing to do with shoveling manure. Some of us have countless other responsibilities. When do we have time to pursue our dream of becoming famous? When do we have time to ride ten horses a day, when we only have one horse to ride? How do we even compare ourselves to those established four star riders, and all of the up and coming super stars waiting to take the spotlight? How do we expect to become the best riders we can possible become when we only ride 40 minutes a day? Do we throw in the towel, or keep pursuing our dreams, and our immense goals?

Valonia, aka The Beast

Valonia, aka The Beast

I say keep going. I say, never stop trying. No, we are all not going to Rolex someday, or Badminton, but that doesn’t mean we cannot dream, and we cannot set other goals, right? If I got anything out of that amazing performance last night, it was that you can work really hard, give your soul to a certain sport, give your blood, sweat and tears, and still not quite make it. Watching Mirai last night, and thinking about Brooklee Han going to Sochi is inspiring.

Their stories provide serious motivation and make me want to try harder, work longer hours, and study videos, books, and photos to help me improve. They make me want to keep going, regardless of the level I am competing at. So, I have no sponsors. So, I am not on anyone’s radar, because I am going novice and training at small events in Area 1. So, I am not working for Boyd, Will, or Sinead. That doesn’t mean that I am nobody. That doesn’t mean that YOU ALL are nobody. We are here, we are trying, and we can succeed if we give it our all.

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