Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?
Figure skating has paid an important aspect of my life and has shaped me into the person I am today. To begin, my partner and I were paired up together in 2005. Having had ------ ancestors from -------, we were approached by the ------ federation to represent the country of ----- for international figure skating competitions. Over the course of our athletic career, we won four consecutive national titles and had the opportunity to represent ----- in numerous international competitions such as the Junior Grand Prix Figure Skating circuit and also the World Figure Skating Championships and also the Olympic Trials which were held in Germany where we earned ------- a spot as an alternate for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
The journey towards achieving these accomplishments has not been an easy task - frequently, we had to wake up early in the morning everyday before school for some intensive training in addition to maintaining our education at high standards. During our training, I suffered many injuries in which resulted in numerous trips to the doctor's office. Despite all this, I was determined not to give up working hard to be the best I can be.
After my partner retired to pursue medical school, I began skating as a singles skater. My first competition as a singles skater was at the ---------. This competition was vastly different from any competition I had ever done as a pairs skater. I was amazed at how much time and detail the people at ----- spent on the amazing grand opening. Some said that the grand opening was just as grand as the one China held for the Summer Olympics. Reaching all the way to this level, I felt that every stressful moment and tears shed during practice was paid off.
In addition to competing, I got to meet many new friends from different countries while travelling and was fascinated at the cultures and traditions. I also found that people in many foreign countries are not as lucky those in America. Observing these foreign countries, I realized that many people in the world did not have a chance to live as comfortably as we do. It is events such as this that have not only matured me as a person to handle life and pressure, but also to mature as an adult. I have learnt to appreciate life and everything that I have. Most importantly, I have also realized the gift of giving back.
Every year, the Los Angeles firefighters hold a "Sparks of Love" Charity toy drive. This is a charity that donates toys to children who are less fortunate. For that charity, our rink holds a yearly show in which the admission charge is a new toy. When the promoter asked my partner and I to perform, we were honored and immediately accepted. We have been performing every year ever since, as this is a fulfilling event towards my goal of helping the less fortunate. I am happy that my skills can be of use to brighten up the days of those in need.
Besides competing and doing shows, I also share my love for figure skating by volunteering to teach classes held by the -------- as well as teaching the children with disabilities from the "Special Olympics" program. It is more than satisfying for me to be allowed to share my love of skating to someone else, especially these children. These special needs children show so much enthusiasm towards skating that it makes me amazed at how courageous they are. After three years helping them, I feel a sense of pride at how much they improved not only in skating but also in character.
Figure skating has been an incredibly rewarding experience which taught me many values such as discipline, hard work, perseverance, kindness, patience and compassion. It also taught me how to be focused in my work and this helped me a lot for school. My parents used to say, "No school, no skating" and so I had to carry around my homework to competitions. It was hard to study with all the excitement around but I managed through it. Now, I've realized that I'm reaching my next milestone in life: college. I hope that all the values and life lessons I've learned in figure skating will allow me to be successful in the future and improve the lives of people around the world.
