Bolting | Teen Ink

Bolting

August 9, 2012
By jooooolia GOLD, Potomac, Maryland
jooooolia GOLD, Potomac, Maryland
11 articles 2 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


Usain Bolt. An extremely talented yet arrogant man who sometimes comes off as a jerk. That said, I respect him and I have never seen a man who enjoys being famous as much as he does. He is an athlete, a celebrity, a comedian (without his knowledge) and after landing a tryout with Manchester United, maybe even a soccer player. Now some may choose to laugh at or scorn or even worship this man, but I prefer to just watch. To me, he is the perfect example of an average human. I use the word average loosely because certainly, the fastest man in modern history is not physically average, but his emotions on the other hand are what deserve the term. I have watched the TV interviews and the stories where they talk to his parents and show his hometown in Jamaica. Unlike some of his counterparts, Bolt doesn’t really have an inspiring story, or a life changing moment that drove him to greatness. All he has is a dream to be legend and some insecurity. He knows what he is good at and he uses it to achieve what he wants, which is worldwide fame and fortune. However, he also doubts himself sometimes. After losing to Blake in the Jamaican Olympic trials, it was a reality check for Bolt that left the rest of the world guessing as to what was going to happen. Contrary to what many people thought, Bolt didn’t let it get to him, or did he? All I know is after losing those two races, Bolt came back with a vengeance to break his own Olympic record and show the world who is on top. Unlike the Beijing games, there was no cocky celebration before he had even crossed the finish line. He did what he came to do but it was obvious that he was going to do everything in his power to get the gold. That moment is what inspired me the most about Bolt. Like Bolt, I don’t have an extraordinary story with devastation and setbacks that drive me forward. Like Bolt, I’m just trying to find what I am good at and succeed doing it. Like Bolt, I want to use my emotions and insecurities as motivation to do better. He will always be fun to watch, and while I don’t always approve of his social antics I try to absorb what he teaches me, so that one day when I am chasing my dreams, I won't just run, I’ll Bolt.



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This article has 1 comment.


dylan said...
on Sep. 19 2012 at 12:13 pm
I like your story and you should write more. It was a good piece of writing because it gave me a lot of information about Bolt- the fastest man in the world and I like to run as well.