Prior to this, I competed for a club where the focus of competitions was mainly on the individual rather than the team. There was a different atmosphere in high school gymnastics; we were more concerned on how well the team performed and less focused on individual attainments. As team captain, I felt a new kind of pressure, my team depended on me. It was imperative that my teammates and I gave our all in order to obtain our goal of making it to the state competition as a team. For me, this meant I would need to overcome my fear of bars.
At the District Championships, we were all on edge. This was our only chance to make history in our school and qualify for State. Bars was our first event we would compete on. As I stood facing where the judges sat, waiting for my turn to perform, I knew it was crucial I hit this routine. I can still recall the feeling of my hands shaking with nervous excitement and hearing my teammates standing around me shouting encouragements. By the time I saluted the judge, I was confident and ready. I had my team supporting me and nothing was going to stand in our