Autumn is here with us. As scheduled in the school-year calendar, YYHS held the sports meeting last week.

No one in our class was good at sports, to be honest. Because I thought I was physically stronger than the other girls, I entered for the 800-metre and 1,500-metre races. It sounded a bit crazy that a girl should want to run such long distances, but I did.

Prior to the athletic events, I got nervous, seeing the list of contestants from other classes. Some of them, who were my middle school classmates, were very good runners then. I was worried that I might not be able to make it to the top eight and earn credits for our class. If I failed, it would be one of my biggest regrets in high school. Therefore, the week before the sports meeting, I left out supper. I took the time to practise running on the sports field. Running all alone there was exhausting but, oddly enough, it relaxed me I finished each workout.

The day before the sports meeting opened, I still did not have enough confidence. Thanks to my kind classmates and close friends, I was determined to win. “Regardless of your performance, we will always be your supporters,” they comforted and encouraged me. “We will be rooting for you, waiting for you at the finish line.”

At the races, no matter which track I was on, I heard voices cheering me. When I completed each race, there were friends at the finish line offering me a bottle of water and a towel. Some even accompanied me back to the classroom.

I earned third place in the 1,500-metre race. The bronze medal made me feel so proud. It added to my class’s honour.