Green 1 Noah Green Professor Suzanne Ingram English 1102-100 30 April 2014 Passion: The Center of Excellence On August

28rd 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln memorial in front of nearly 300,000 people while delivering his I Have a Dream speech. Due to his actions, he was able to advance the civil rights of African Americans during the 1960s. It was the trait of passion that guided Martin Luther King Jr. to achieving his goal and eventually winning a Nobel Peace Prize. Passion is a trait that separates the average person from those who achieve greatness and those who make a difference in the world. It is the trait of immense enthusiasm towards a belief, sport, or activity. Besides Martin Luther King Jr, there have been many notable figures who have applied their passion to obtaining a goal. Shaun White is a passionate athlete, who has won nearly twenty five gold medals in the Winter Olympics and XGames combined. Personally, passion is a trait that guides me each and every day, and it is a trait that has shaped my unique personality. My Unique Passion During the summer prior to my freshman year at R.L. Patton High School, I decided to join the cross country team unaware of how far I would advance in the sport. I thought that joining the team would be a good way to meet new friends, and that it would be a good way to get involved at my new high school, though I quickly found that I enjoyed running competitively. As the cross country season progressed, I became passionate about the sport, and I wanted to continue to get better so I could compete at a higher level. I continued to improve

Green 2 during my four years at Patton High School until the climax of my high school career when I finished 3rd at the 2013 NCHSAA 3A State Championships. My passion for the sport developed drastically during my high school career, and eventually led me to become a collegiate athlete at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Throughout my running career, I have found that have I become increasingly passionate towards the sport, though I frequently ask myself, Why am I passionate about distance running? It is a question that is not easy to answer, and that I have been asking myself ever since my running career began nearly five years ago. As nearly any runner would agree with me, distance running is a sport that I both love and hate. Though to be a successful distance runner, I have had to stay motivated through the workouts that seem never-ending in order to reach the next level. Even though some days are exhausting, there are other days when Im briskly traversing a mountain ridge top, my eyes are fixed on a narrow trail, and everything in life feels perfect. During these runs, I am always surrounded by the beauty of nature such as the Linville Gorge that is shown to the left. I am also drawn to early morning runs, when the sun is just barely visible, and I feel like Im the only one awake in the world. At this time in the

Green 3 morning, the only sound to be heard is my feet repeatedly hitting the cold ground, as the chorus of the singing birds in the morning is still to come. All of the never-ending workouts during the season, and long training runs in the mountains lead up to one thing, and that is racing. Racing is what guides my training, and is the purpose of all of my hard work. The feeling of when I cross the finish line, knowing that I gave the race my best effort is amazing, and has enabled me to stay motivated throughout my career. Besides the drive to win races, and to run a faster time over a specific race distance, I am drawn to the sport due to a few specific reasons. One of the main reasons is because gauging your personal improvement is easy since distance running is focused around running a faster time. For instance, my fastest 5k time during my freshman year of high school was 18:29, and by my senior year I ran 15:52 in the 5k. It is interesting to me to see what type of training is beneficial for me, and what specific workouts enable me to get faster. Compared to most sports like basketball, football, and soccer, an improvement in skill level cannot be easily observed. Another reason why I enjoy running, is because it gives me a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment every day. During my high school career, I would frequently run up a mountain called Burkemont Mountain, which is a grueling five mile ascent. When I would reach the summit of the mountain I would be exhausted, though I felt accomplished as I would always stop and admire the view. At the top of the mountain I could look down to the valley where I started, and be amazed of how far I had come, since the parking lot from which I started now resembled an ant on the ground. Passion is a trait that has guided my entire life, and has guided me to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. My passion for running will always be within me, just as Alan

Green 4 Webb stated Once a runner, always a runner. Even though I will probably lose my competitive attitude towards running once I graduate college, I know that one day Ill cross the finish line at the Boston and New York City Marathon. I believe that it does not matter what a person is passionate about, just as long as that person follows their passion.