Brittany Mason
Eng. 101 (2312)
Mrs. Holland
September 19, 2011
2009-2010 4A State Champions Working through hard times, when the odds are against my team, has always pushed me. Losing Victoria, my best friend since kindergarten, gave me the determination to make winning state possible. Pushing ourselves to the limit through these times had never meant more to the team. Using Victoria as our will power we paved a path to great accomplishments. The team started off the season great with twenty new cheerleaders. Our ability in all areas had never been better. The thought of winning the State title ran across our minds constantly. We pushed ourselves to the extreme everyday to become better. Working long hours through sweat, blood, and tears made us come together as one, until something devastating happened that we never could have dreamt. The news of Victoria’s accident put our dreams to a sudden stop. This was our dead end. Not all things that end successfully have a perfect path. True character shows when the odds are against someone, that’s when kids show who they are within. My teammates and I learned this lesson when we lost Victoria. It felt like the world had been put on pause; I have never felt this feeling in my life. Losing my best friend and teammate put all my hopes and dreams to an end. She was such an important part of me and our team. We never thought we could get passed this tragedy. For days we all wondered, “How could we get pass this?” How could we make things better again?” That is when our coach, Mrs. Hodges, brought our hopes and dreams back to life. She told us, “I know it is hard to go on. I think about her every day. We have to have faith. God will get us through this in the end. We have to win this title for her family. Make everything we do from this day forward be in her name. Make her name rise to the occasion. When we are on the mat, nothing else matters but her. This is for Victoria. Then, the day we had been waiting for was finally here. It was time to show everyone that my team could overcome the hardest situations in life. I can still remember walking onto that mat, the lights, the screaming, and Victoria’s smiling face. This was our moment for her. Nothing in the world could stop us. The music came on and we hit our opening stunts flawlessly. We went the entire routine with no mistakes. When the team and I walked off the mat, a rush of joy, and sadness hit me. I only wished that Victoria could be here to share this moment with us. Anxiously, we sat and waited for the awards; it felt like hours had passed. Finally, the announcer came over the loudspeaker, “May I have your attention please, all 4A squads report to the mat at this time.” Instantly, I had butterflies. The announcer said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, our 2009-2010 4A State Champions are… North Jackson High School!” We all jumped up with excitement and relief. All our stress was gone. We came together to reach one goal for a good cause and achieved. Something bright could finally fill our lives again. Our long and troubled road came to an end. In conclusion, we all learned that not all good things last, but anyone can overcome. When putting faith in God and a group of kids that have the same desire, nothing is impossible. This journey my team and I took had forever changed my life. We put time, sweat, blood, and tears into winning state to raise Victoria’s name. By the end of that day, I knew she was proud.