Pelin PALA
BELIEVE
Hello! My name is Liv Morris. I was born on July 21, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia in the USA. I live with my mother and father. I go to Wesleyan middle school. I ' m an average kid. My best friend’ s name is Matt. I ' ve been going to the ATA Cheer gym school since 2009. My father, Jack, is a personal trainer. My mother, Emma, is a film director.
I started doing gymnastics when I was 4 years old at home with my dad. First, he taught me how to do a flip. Then, he found out that I was so flexible and talented. When I was 5 I started going to ATA Cheer gym school. I was working out 1 hour every week. After a year my coach Johnny thought I should practice more so I could compete in competitions. I started to practice an hour a day.
At the end of the second year, I learned how to do many great tricks. Then I started doing tricks on the balance beam. When I was 8 I was doing flips on the balance beam. When I was at a gym schools competition I fell off of the balance beam. I dislocated my shoulder. It really hurt. I couldn ' t go to the gym for 3 months. It was a really hard time because it was my right shoulder and I’ m right handed.. I was really sad. I was at my house, laying in bed watching gym videos all day long. My best friend, Matt, came with flowers. He told me a story about a time when he never gave up. It made me feel better. He told me that I was really talented at gymnastics and that he would always be right beside me.
When I got better I continued working on my gymnastics skills. At the age of 9, I could do very hard tricks. I saw a circus try out poster on the wall one day, so I asked my father if I could go to the try outs. We went to the circus to ask if I was old enough. They said yes so I practiced for 3 hours everyday until the try outs.
I went to the try outs. I was going to do the hardest trick: The Amanar Vault. I was doing an excellent job until the last move of the trick. My head hurt so much and I almost fainted. That ' s why I couldn ' t do the last move very well. Just because of that move I lost the chance to be in the circus. After that I practiced all the year for the next try outs. Matt helped me practice. We found out that my headache was caused by sinus problems. I practiced a lot and I got used to my head hurting.
One day, I was practicing that trick but then I heard a little sound from my shoulder. I didn ' t think that it could be such a big thing. I went to my gym teacher to show him the trick. When I stepped on my hands I felt something. Something really hurt. While I was on my hands I looked at my right shoulder. It was near my cheek. It was happening again. My shoulder dislocated again. My shoulder was touching my cheek. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen. It ' s not like the horror movies. You see one of your body parts changing place.
I fell down when I saw it but there was only one thought in my head. Even if this happens again I will go to the circus tryouts, win and show my trick.
My coach came and took me to the hospital. My parents and Matt came to hospital. They calmed me down. I was really happy to see them. While my parents talked to the doctor Matt was trying to make me laugh. Then my parents came to the room. They said that I shouldn ' t do gymnastics for 1 year. If I did, it could happen again and maybe the next time I wouldn ' t be so lucky.
My shoulder hurt so much but I was going to win this circus tryout. I was so sure. Even if my shoulder hurt this much I wasn ' t going to let my father, mother, coach and Matt down. When my shoulder was okay again I practiced so much.
The next year when I was 11, I went to the tryouts again. I did The Amanar Vault very well. I waited 1 month for the good news and then the circus called us and told us that I won. I was very happy. I think I earned it myself. I practiced so hard, even though my shoulder had dislocated twice, I didn ' t give up. These experiences made me very brave even if some of them weren’ t very nice.
Since 2015, I have been in the circus. I ' ve been going to practices after school everyday from 17.00 to 20.00. I ' m still going to the ATA Cheer gym on Saturdays and Sundays from 9.00 to 12.00. I want to be an acrobat when I grow up. I love gymnastics! I would like to thank to my dad for his influence. My mom for everything. My gym teacher Johnny from ATA. Also my best friend Matt who has always been behind me, believed in me even when I didn ' t believe in myself.
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