“Swimmers take your mark… Bang!” the official announced as I dove in as quick as a lightning bolt. My shaved legs and arms sliced through the water and, quickly, I began my body-dolphin and slingshotted past my opponents, except one. The feeling I had made me feel invincible. Unfortunately, this opponent was ranked first in the 200 freestyle and wasn’t going to be an easy battle to overcome, but I planned to exterminate that record. We both pulled up with amazing strength and the first 50 of the 200 meter swim was under way.
Our kicks bursted the water and created a wave of water behind us, my pull felt as if I had webbed hands, and my heart was racing at a million miles per hour. I took my first breath to my right and saw the number one ranked swimmer next to me.
I thought to myself, “I am going to have to go out at about 95% my first two laps, then my 3rd lap I’m going to press the envelope, and my last lap I’m going to go all or nothing; bring it home.”
I began to activate my plan. I made sure that I wasn’t going out to fast, but I wasn’t holding back to much. I looked straight down at the pool and breathed to my left and right every three strokes to make sure I kept my stroke balanced and to watch my true opponent. He flipped turn next to me and we both flew off the wall, eyeing each other. Again, our body-dolphin made us slingshot through the water and we exploded up with a wave of adrenaline.
“This… is starting… to hurt! Am I taking this out too fast?” I thought to myself as I began swimming my second lap.
I breathed to my left and glimpsed at my opponent who also glimpsed at me. His eyes seeked determination to still be the champion, but what he didn’t know was that he was the prey and I was the predator. I started to pick up the pace as we were reaching the wall and we were neck and neck. Flip turning into the halfway mark, I began to feel the pain creeping up on me like a lion seeking its prey. My body dolphin didn’t slingshot me like my competition did and I fell half a body length behind.
At this point, I thought, “This is it. It’s over. I lost.”
I breathed to my right and a spark of light came over me as I saw my coach screaming, “GO!”
“He still had determination that I could win this,” I thought, “I can do this!”
Despite the excruciating pain in my arms and legs, I opened the envelope and started to kick like a motor boat engine. Slowly, I caught up to him and the wall was upon us. We flipped turned with speed and flew off the wall. The last lap was underway.
The pain was unbearable, my arms felt like they were ton weights slamming against the water and my legs felt like jelly, but I realized that’s what practice is all about. To get use to the pain and be able to overcome it to become successful.
I changed my breathing pattern to strictly watch him. We were both breaking from the agonizing pain, but now was the time where I broke his heart and took the lead. With everything I had, I pulled deeper and kicked harder. Only 20 meters left. He catched my move and swam along with me. Ten meters left. I held my breath for the final strokes. Five meters left. This is where most swims are decided. Thud! I hit the wall and stared at the placement and I won by .01 seconds! I overcame pain and won! 

My one true friend. The one who has always been there for me through the ups and downs. The one who I can tell anything to. The one who will play any game with me, no matter how ridiculous it is, and can talk about anything in the world. This man’s name is Cody. Met him when I moved to White Oak in the fourth grade, our friendship didn’t start off great. I would bully him by poking his side aggressively and I would’t stop no matter how many times he would say stop. Fortunately, I came to my senses and stopped bullying him. From that point on, we became closer and closer until we became best friends. He is my bro and I am his bro. He helps me through any situation I tell him about and I do my best to help him through any situation he tells me about. Without him, my life wouldn’t be the same. He is a big, strong man that does not use his strength to bully people around. He has aqua blue eyes, black hair, and has two missing teeth. He may not possess the smartest traits, but he has great common sense and can do anything if he sets his mind to it. He is a man of his word and knows how to treat people right. Inside his “non-senstitve” body he owns a sensitive heart and when he cares about something, he will do anything and everything to protect it. He is one-of-a-kind and he is my one true friend.

One fateful night, my brother and I were playing a round of Dance Central in front of my two friends, Adrian and Chris. As the night progressed on, my brother kept on dancing his way to victory. It seemed as if no one could beat him. That changed quickly as my favorite song, Massive Attack, was selected and we began to dance. I knew every move to the song and I felt as if I had the moves of Michael Jackson. The song was coming to an end and the score was tied. I began to sweat for no one had ever beaten me at that song. At that moment, I began perfecting every move and when it was all said and done, I came out being the undefeated champion. I smiled in satisfaction with my well fought victory, but as I started to walk away, my brother gave me a violent push. I turned around in disbelief that he had the bravery to do such an action. In return, I gave him a violent push and the fist fight began. My brother threw the first right punch and I dodged it. I returned with a left punch and hit my mark. Quickly, I grabbed him from behind and wrestled him to the floor. I struggled to get him in a choke hold, but once I did it was all over. He tapped the floor to tell me that he gave up and I released him from my deadly grip. My adrenaline was sky high at that point and I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I was devastated and wished to myself that I would never get in another fist fight with my beloved brother ever again.

The item that is most valuable to me is my first TAGS swimming medal. I obtained this item when I was ten in Austin, Texas after I swam the 400 meter freestyle and placed fourth. It was a swim that was well fought and very exhausting, but the reward was worth it. After the swim, the officials announced that the reward ceremony would begin in ten minutes and, for the first time, I was able to stand on the stands. Proudly I stood on the stands and waited for my first ever TAGS medal to be handed to me. As the official placed the medal around my neck, I realized how exquisite the item was. It was a small two inch by one inch medal, but the weight and colors of the medal made it feel as if it was a miniature Olympic medal. The medal weighed about ten ounces and was a representation of our beloved Texas flag as the medal possessed the colors of deep blue, a blood shot red, and a pure white. These colors were put into the form of our flag with the blue on the left, the white on the top right, and the red on the bottom left. The medal around my neck made me feel as if I was a champion, even though I only placed fourth in that event. Now that medal that I obtained five years ago is in a plaque of my greatest accomplishments in swimming and I plan on getting many more.