The dream of becoming an Occupational Therapist can be traced back to my original desire of contributing to exercise-related fields, which derived from those years I committed myself to track and field training before college. During that period of time, I experienced great pleasure, heavy frustration, even grief, and let alone physical discomfort. Fortunately, those diverse experiences have given rise to my own physical and mental growth and have made me realize athletes are not merely people who exercise. For me, having been an athlete is a part of being who I am now, and it shapes my attitude toward how I should live a life in the meantime. This is also why I am studying Exercise Science for my bachelor degree, hoping that I will, one day,
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However, more importantly, I came cross the concept of “to live life to its fullest” with which “exercise” here is thought to be a mean to reach the idea. What’s more, like I mentioned above, athletes are not merely people who exercise Every athlete has a life, a unique one in terms of physiological and mental challenges, and especially the life style before and after their athletic career. The life changes, no matter due to injuries, environmental factors, or other self-intentions, can sometimes be so dramatic that there is outside force and assistance required to help individuals make adjustment. This epiphany further allows me to understand that each of our lives might actually change at some point too, such as due to inherent disabilities, injuries from work, or just aging. Yet, there is still a way to live life to its fullest, and here is where the role of an OT kicks in to help the need to fulfill this idea. So, has my desire changed? Yes, the population I want to serve is now everyone not just athletes; yes, the expected way in order to serve a broader population has changed as I now have a different perception about life; but no, I still want to contribute to exercise-related fields but with a successful OT mind-set. My experience of having been an athlete shapes my life attitude, and it absolutely has an impact on me searching academic path. Therefore, exercise science is the one that best fits my interest, but later on it gave me the opportunity to know Occupational Therapy with which I will likely to gain more understanding about physical activity and even have a chance to better accomplish my advanced ideal—to help everyone coexist with life changes as opposed to
However, more importantly, I came cross the concept of “to live life to its fullest” with which “exercise” here is thought to be a mean to reach the idea. What’s more, like I mentioned above, athletes are not merely people who exercise Every athlete has a life, a unique one in terms of physiological and mental challenges, and especially the life style before and after their athletic career. The life changes, no matter due to injuries, environmental factors, or other self-intentions, can sometimes be so dramatic that there is outside force and assistance required to help individuals make adjustment. This epiphany further allows me to understand that each of our lives might actually change at some point too, such as due to inherent disabilities, injuries from work, or just aging. Yet, there is still a way to live life to its fullest, and here is where the role of an OT kicks in to help the need to fulfill this idea. So, has my desire changed? Yes, the population I want to serve is now everyone not just athletes; yes, the expected way in order to serve a broader population has changed as I now have a different perception about life; but no, I still want to contribute to exercise-related fields but with a successful OT mind-set. My experience of having been an athlete shapes my life attitude, and it absolutely has an impact on me searching academic path. Therefore, exercise science is the one that best fits my interest, but later on it gave me the opportunity to know Occupational Therapy with which I will likely to gain more understanding about physical activity and even have a chance to better accomplish my advanced ideal—to help everyone coexist with life changes as opposed to