The yellow minibus booms with excitement. It’s Halloween, and I’m headed down to St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. My team and I will be running at the state cross country meet tomorrow morning. Butterflies fill my stomach as I say, “State cross country.”

“Determined” is defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary as “having one’s mind made up; decided” (Guralnik). To me, it has a much bigger meaning. Humans make up their minds every day, so how is that so special? When I set my mind on something, I will not stop until I accomplish it. I will do whatever it takes to reach my goals through hard work and grit. The word “determined” describes me very well, and I think others see that in me.

I am captain of both my tennis and basketball teams, and I think much of that has to do with how hard I work. I stay late after practice working on improving my skills, both in basketball and tennis. It’s fairly easy to pick out who works hard and who does not, especially in sports. I try to be a good role model for younger athletes and teach them the importance of working hard. When I leave high school, I want to know that I gave it everything I had. I don’t want to regret not trying my best.

I believe that being determined is one of the best qualities a person can have, but it can also have its downsides. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so determined because it takes up so much of my time. Instead of getting a good night's rest, I stay up late at night perfecting my homework, making sure I will get an “A” in the class. Being so determined makes everything more stressful because I want everything to be perfect. I sacrifice free time that could be spent doing things I enjoy or with friends and family. After awhile, this starts to tear me. I begin to dread going to school.

After a long four hours, we finally make it to St. Olaf College. Pulling up in the minibus, the parking lot is filled with massive coach buses and vans, each full of decorations. I feel small and out of place. Nerves creep in as I enter the main club house filled with hundreds of runners. I can tell this is the best of the best by the actions and movements of the runners. Confidence is written all over their faces and shown in their strides. Though it intimidates me, I am excited to run against them. Coach Johnson hands each one of us a map of the course, and we head out. “This is it,” I tell myself, “You are finally here.”

Determined people don’t let others sway or change what they do. They don’t let anyone stop them from reaching their goals. I believe that success is a result of determination. The most successful people in this world have worked so hard to get where they are. Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple, is a great example of how hard work and determination pays off. Steve Jobs came from a middle class family and became a billionaire. He had a vision and was determined to turn that vision into reality. Today, his company is one of the largest companies in the world.

As we enter the race area, many of my teammates don’t want to run the course, even though this is our practice for the day. I want to run because I know this is my only chance to loosen up my legs from the long bus ride. Lydia, one of my teammates, and I decide that we are going to run without them. One of my teammates is not very happy with our decision. She yells, “It doesn’t matter, we already made it here. They are going to be way faster than you, anyway. Why do you care so much?”

I am very confused by the mindset of her and many of my teammates. Why wouldn’t we try our best for our last race? Why did we try so hard to get here, if we weren’t going to do our best at state? Going to state was my goal all season; I made it, so I am not going to give up now. My teammate yelling at me isn’t going to change my mind.

Heart is another word for determined. Without heart there’s no purpose. People who lack determination don’t care about what they are doing. They don’t care whether or not they come out ahead, or behind. They have no reason to do things, so they never put out their best work. These people settle for mediocre. Determined people, on the other hand, have heart; they have purpose. Everything they do has a meaning and a reason. They love what they are doing, or love the reward that will come. Determined people do not settle. They continue to achieve more and more through hard work. Justice Smith says it best, “Stay focused and stay determined. Don’t look to anyone else to be your determination - have self-determination. It will take you very far” (Justice Smith Quotes).

The gun goes off, and my legs start moving, faster and faster. I am at a full sprint, but so is everyone else. In my head, I can hear my teammates telling me not to start off fast, don't fall for the trap. Clearly ignoring those statements, I keep going. I’m a part of a swarm of bees, all so close together, all going for the same thing. The cart. The lead. Running past the mile marker, I feel alone. A group lies ahead of me, and a group lies behind me. I think to myself, “By the end of the race, I will catch the group ahead of me.” This line replays over and over in my head like the newest hit on the radio. I’m determined to finish ahead of them, and that is what I will do.

Crossing the finish line, my body trembles. Looking around for a few of my teammates, I can’t see any of them. It registers, I beat them. I beat our top runners. All of the hard work that I had put in paid off. I didn’t let anyone bring me down or stop me from doing my best. As I walked off the course to find my family, I couldn’t help but smile.  

Works Cited

Guralnik, David B, editor. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language. 2nd ed.,    Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1982.

“Justice Smith Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore.