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topic: In the college application process, you are constantly prompted for a list of your achievements, awards, and accomplishments. While this information is useful to us, we are interested in hearing more about you. Describe an event, achievement, or experience of which you are particularly proud but that will not show up on a resume, may not garner any recognition, and does not appear anywhere else on your admission application. This essay should not exceed 1,000 words in length.
By: Mihir Shah
At 871 feet high, an 80-degree incline, 240-foot drop, 300 feet long, and 5 seconds of a pure adrenaline rush, Tiger at Boston Mills is the black diamond slope everyone is afraid of. Tiger, the only slope that even the most talented skiers avoid and can get the heart of the best instructors racing, was the slope I dreamt of accomplishing and sailing down in the cold December air. In order to accomplish my feat it was going to take practice, failure, perseverance, and dedication but I was up to any challenge in order to reach the goal I had set for myself.
It started when I was a sophomore in high school and my cousin and I decided to join our school's ski club in order to learn how to ski and have a good time. Our first few weeks were spent in learning how to go down the beginner hills and going to our ski lessons to earn levels of certification, black diamond being the highest. From our first lesson, my instructor noticed the fire in my eyes and my desire to be one of the select few who could make it down Tiger. On our first lesson, he told me not to worry about Tiger and that I would eventually get there but that was the only thing that my mind focused on.
Every Saturday I would show up at eight o' clock to have a warm up session, take a lesson for two hours, and then practice for another three hours. By the time I got home, I would be exhausted and just pass out in my bed. As the weeks wore on my desire to make it down Tiger grew to the point where I would ski to its peak, take a look down the eighty degree drop, and feel the adrenalin rushing through my veins only to turn around without accomplishing my goal. After 3 weeks, our instructor told us that he would be choosing four students to accompany him in the black diamond level training. At our next session, he informed us that my cousin, two other skiers, and I would be accompanying him on the black diamond training lesson and everyone else was done with their training.
We met the following morning on the easiest of the black diamond hills, North Bowl, on which he taught us how to carve and perform an abrupt stop. After two weeks of practicing these techniques as well as others, we decided to move one level up to Croyle, the race slope, and make it down the hill while practicing all the techniques we learned and still maintaining good form. According to our instructor, we were all worthy of receiving the black diamond certification and therefore, after 2 more days of practice and perfection we were all awarded the black diamond certification. There was only one more thing for me to do and there was no way I could turn away after reaching the top once I had already been black diamond certified.
I skied to the top of Tiger one last time, looked down at the sharp eighty-degree drop, and once again felt the adrenaline rush through me. I watched three to four instructors make a run down the slope before I got the courage to look down the steep slope again. I looked forward, could see miles away, and felt my legs get weak with the thought of what was ahead of me. As the cold January air brushed through my hair and dried out my eyes, I lowered my goggles and felt the cold pierce through every layer of clothing. As my heart pounded loud enough for me to hear it in my brain I made my way over to the edge of the slope and took one last look down before I pushed off with my poles and felt one large gust of wind as I began my decent down the slope.
As I flew down the hill, I tried to maintain my balance while still following all the techniques I had learned in all my lessons. With the wind blowing in my face and my hands frozen in the position they started in I hit a bump and almost lost balance but I quickly regained my balance and my heart was racing with fear. As I came down the slope with blazing fast speed, my only thought was to quickly slow down, and try not to harm anyone that was not quick enough to move out of my way. Fortunately, in one of our black diamond lessons, we had learned how to perform a quick stop and it may have been the only reason no one was harmed that day.
As I came to an abrupt stop, my mind came racing back to reality and I fully comprehended what I had just done. Overcome with joy and happiness I could not wait to tell everyone that I had finally conquered Tiger, the most difficult and challenging slope at Boston Mills. The goal I had worked so hard and long for was finally accomplished and it was the greatest feeling in the world. I had never worked so hard for a goal in my life but the reward that I received was greater than any I have ever received and will always be remembered.
Tiger is still the most difficult slope at Boston Mills and each year hundreds dream the same dream that I once dreamt but only a select few in that group are able to accomplish what I have accomplished. Through hard work, perseverance, and practice anything can be achieved and the reward from a cause that you have worked so hard for is better than any award that is won with ease. 871 feet high, 300 feet long, a 240-foot drop, an eighty-degree incline, and the 5 seconds of pure adrenaline rush make Tiger the jewel in my list of accomplishments.
By: Mihir Shah
