The Prize.

My name is Mara, I’m a 23 year old athlete and I’m in training for the Olympics. I run 5 miles every morning and night so that I am well prepared for my race. I am going to run the 1500 meter race, it’s taken a lot of time to get where I am now. I have a specific diet that I have to stick to; my diet is full of carbohydrates and other food’s to make it balanced and healthy. My trainer is my dad as he used to run cross country in high school and also won races.

It will mean a lot to me if I win gold because it will make my family proud and I will feel like I have accomplished something important and bigger than ever before. It will make my dad and mum especially proud of me because they were both athlete’s in high school but have never made it as far as me. If I don’t win a gold medal I will be disappointed but I will learn from my mistakes and I will be able to compete again in four years.

Its one week until I leave for the Olympics so I have been training extra hard. My dad keeps pushing me telling me if I try harder I will defiantly get a gold medal; honestly I think he is pushing me a little too hard, every night I have to have a hot bath to sooth my muscles. I have packed my stuff ready to leave for London.

I’m at the London stadium waiting for the runners to get called up. My heart is pumping so fast it feels like it’s going to explode, my hands are sweaty and I’m shaking like mad. I’m so nervous about this race, what if something goes wrong? What if I trip and fall? Just as I was thinking about the worst case scenario I heard the runners being called up to the race track. I slowly stood up and made my way over.

I took my place on the starting line and focused my mind on the track ahead. I slowed down my breathing and calmed my nerves. I could see all the people staring down at us with anticipation running through there veins. I heard the starting pistol get shot and we all set of. At first I was lagging behind but I soon caught up to the lead runner, my heart rate was through the roof but my breathing was calm and steady. The lead runner and I were neck and neck until the last 10 meters when I picked up my pace to a fast sprint and over took him. I made it to the finish line way ahead of all the rest; I looked behind me and smiled feeling like I achieved something. I walked over to a bench and waited for the winning results to be called.

I waited a long agonising hour for all the other events to finish. When all the events finished all the contestants walked over to the podium and waited for the results. When it was the runners turn I waited anxiously; the bronze medal winner was called up, then the silver and then it was the gold medal. I heard them call my name and I screamed with joy, I walked up to the top stand on the podium and was handed a big gold trophy. Everyone was clapping and cheering; I felt on top of the world, this is the biggest achievement I have ever won and it will stay with me for life.