[Student Voices] Putting My Skis Back On
Published: 17 Jun. 2024, 09:23
Jay Shim (North London Collegiate School Jeju, Year 7)
by Jay Shim (North London Collegiate School Jeju, Year 7)
A few years ago, I went skiing at Yongpyong Resort. I rode the lift through the falling snow and started heading down. It was going smoothly until I tripped on something buried in the snow and lost balance. I rolled over twice in the air and came down on a rock. I was feeling fine at first. Then I realized my leg wasn’t moving. We called the emergency ski patrol and went to the hospital. It turned out that my leg was broken. Surgery followed, then rehabilitation. Now a few years have passed, but I still can’t move freely and comfortably. I can’t kick a soccer ball with power and accuracy, and I often miss the chance. I can’t even walk without a slight limp.
Sometimes I remember when I was in the hospital waiting for my surgery. As I lay on the bed, I wondered why I took such a risk. I thought I never should have started skiing. Why did I do it?
The main reason is because I wanted a challenge. High-risk sports like skiing have one thing in common: high-risk fun. It’s thrilling to race at high speeds down a mountain. We know we can get injured, but that’s part of the excitement. According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, a skier has a mild to severe injury once every 300-500 days of skiing. I’ve gone skiing over 100 times, and I was injured only once. But it was a big one.
Sports like skiing also bring a sense of accomplishment. When we’re skiing down a mountain, we get a feeling of ultimate freedom. It’s like going into a trance and flying like a bird. We’re brought into a state of perfect focus: if we make one mistake, we’ll fall. When we reach the bottom of the mountain, we feel proud of ourselves. We did it!
I have learned a lot through the time when I was hurt. It wasn’t just a time of painful moments. It made me think a lot about continuing to ski. What if I get injured again? But I decided to stand up to my fear. Last winter, I skied again. I put my skis back on and went back to Yongpyong Resort. It felt great to overcome my fear. If I never had this incident, it wouldn’t have made me who I am – an improved and stronger person. Recently, I applied to an international school. The old me would have been worried about failure, and wouldn’t have taken the risk. Now, I have enough courage to write this article and share what happened.
Here is what I think: no moment in life is a bad moment. All of these difficult times become a part of us. They help us to bounce back into a better position. When we fall, we need to get back up. We need to try again. The ability to endure hard moments is the key to becoming a better person.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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