2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Without failure, there is no growth
My heartbeat echoed through the arena as I stood face to face with a beast. He towered over my small agile frame. I stood still, unable to move, like a deer in headlights. Fear of losing mentally consumed me. It was my first Judo tournament and I unfortunately had to face an opponent with such size. Due to the lack of competitors, I was forced to ascend up a weight division. The match was tied. I was but an ant compared to the hulking giant in front of me. I wasn't really muscular or chubby; I was average growing up in a class of kids bigger than I was. It amazed me how I was able to survive.
The referee shouted "Hajime!" and the match resumed. I knew that one mistake would be the difference between my attainment of acquiring the silver or gold medal. Glancing past my opponent's shoulder, I saw my parents cheering me on. The sight of my parents watching added a heavy weight on my back. Their look of disappointment would be my greatest fear. I acted cautiously, using my size and agility to my advantage. My opponent established a firm grip grabbing onto my lapel. Normally I would be able to break it, but with his sheer size he was too powerful. He went in for the offensive, a hip toss. As I was thrown I used my flexibility to avoid landing on my back, which in Judo would lose you the match. With my face flat on the mat I was coming to the realization that the match was still going on. He didn't miss the opportunity and went straight for the pin, turning me over. Pushing, "shrimping," and bridging my way out, he felt like dead weight on top of my body. I looked at my parents as they watched me motionless. Thoughts of defeat dispersed through my mind like poison. The referee stopped the match and announced the victor. My muscles were sore and sweat dripped down my face. I was left in disappointment, but my parents greeted me with overflowing words of comfort. From that moment on, I told myself that I would use this experience to help me improve and do better in my next fight.
An athlete once said, "You will always learn more from losing than you ever do from winning." Without failure, there is no growth. Easily the match could have been canceled, but I accepted the challenge. Fighting against an unfamiliar opponent, I learned new techniques and pushed myself to work harder for my next competitions.
Judo became my gateway sport; it allowed me to build confidence and determination when it came to trying new things. Entering high school, I explored many extracurriculars, eventually trying out for five teams and staying on three for a long term. I became Co-Captain of the swim team, practicing my leadership skills. I never had any leadership experience, I was always the follower, afraid to take initiative. However, from my failures from prior years I knew what my mistakes were. I took initiative and became Co-Captain, it was a stepping stone for the development of my leadership skills. We trained everyday focusing on improving our techniques becoming better than yesterday. Winning race after race it was the best record the swim team ever had.
The experience of losing taught me how to adapt and to better myself as a person. I don't think of defeat as a poison, but as a treatment for my flaws. Like an artist it will sculpt me into excellence. Fear of defeat will only add pressure, hindering me from performing at my best.Holt Educational Consultant - / 14,797 
4780 Josh, the essay had a very strong start. It was engaging and imaginative. It gave me an idea of what was to come in the next few paragraphs. Then, you presented the quote from the unnamed athlete. I lost my focus, I forgot why I was interested in what you were narrating in the essay. It totally threw me from the topic that you were developing in the discussion. It ruined the essay. A quote is only effective if it comes as a separate, stand-alone hook at the beginning of the presentation. When you suddenly throw it in the middle, it derails the presentation. In this case, you have 2 choices, either place the quote at the start of the essay in the manner I suggested, also, include the name of the athlete if possible in order to give it a stronger sense of authority and importance or, remove the quote entirely. I tried removing the quote and it did not affect the overall presentation. Instead, it became stronger because the climax of the story, what you learned from this failure and how it changed you as a person was more easily found in connection with the earlier presentation.
