Dream On by Whitney Kutz

Whitney - 8th Grade

           I'd dreamed of being in the Olympics as a gymnast from the time I was four and saw Simona Amanar of Romania win the all-around gold medal. The way the athletes could move and jump and twirl through the air fascinated me. More than anything, I wanted to do that.

Finally, I was here, at the 2012 summer Olympics in London, England. Standing on a stage, with a gold medal hung around my neck. The flowers I was holding shook slightly in my excitement to have won the all-around. As we sang the National Anthem, I could barely keep from jumping up and down and screaming for joy.

I waved at the crowd and blinked through tears. I could see my family in the stands, cheering and clapping. My brother was mouthing my name, his voice lost in all the noise. I could almost hear him saying it. With a sudden jerk, I realized I was hearing him call my name.

"It's time for dinner!" He was yelling now. I blinked a few times, remembering now that I wasn't at the Olympics. I was in my backyard and apparently it was time for dinner. "Coming!" I called back. Before going through the back door, I glanced over my shoulder at the tree branches that had served as my high bar, the bench for my beam, that little circle of grass for my floor mat, and my brother's picnic table for my vault. I smiled, tucking loose strands of hair behind my ear that had fallen out of my ponytail. Maybe I wasn't there yet, but I could always keep dreaming.

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