VOLUME 58 ISSUE 49 DECEMBER 7, 2021 P107
er. As I said, I didn't win a lot of
trophies in my heyday, but I did
rack up numerous finishers pins
and medals, and I cherished
every single one of them, even
to this day, because I've always
had a strong desire to finish what
I started, and believe me, there
were many times I wanted to
quit, but instead forged on.
When I started racing moto-
cross at an early age, my goal
was to get a damn trophy. At
that time, you only got a trophy
if you finished within the top 30
percent of your class. The 125cc
Beginner class was a popular
one, often there were 20 other
beginners on the start line, all
wanting the same thing as me.
I tried and tried and tried but no
luck. I was a 40-percenter. Final-
ly, it was 100-percent trophy day
at the races, and I would finally
get my trophy. I finished, I don't
know, maybe 10th or something,
and my dad rolled his eyes back
when I went to get my trophy.
"You really want a trophy for
10th place?" he said. "Heck
ya!" But when I got to the trophy
booth with the 20 other kids that
"won," I quickly had a change of
heart. No, I really didn't deserve
a trophy for 10th place and went
back to the truck, empty hand-
ed, again. Sure, I was disap-
pointed, but I was just going to
have to try a little harder to earn
that first trophy.
Well, it finally happened a few
weeks later. I got third over-
all and brought home my first
honest-to-goodness and well-
deserved trophy. I was so proud.
I even took it to school the next
day to show my friends. I don't
think I've ever been as proud
of any trophy, even a first-place
trophy (which, yes, also eventu-
ally came).
I believe that third-place
trophy would go on to play a
big role in my life. Basically, the
overwhelming feeling of ac-
complishment that I got that day
after "winning" my first trophy
was enough to make me want to
have that feeling over and over
again, whether it's in racing,
taking a test in school, or any-
thing in your day-to-day life—it's
basically that old adage that if
first you don't succeed, try, try
again. You will succeed, even if
it's ninth place, eighth place or,
well, third place—that is suc-
cess. Sometimes I don't think
we teach this old cliché enough,
but I learned it real quick when
my dad rolled his eyes back that
day. Keep trying, it'll be worth it.
I just hope handing out fin-
isher pins, medals or trophies
before the races (or any kind
of competition or challenge for
that matter) before the green
flag drops doesn't become a
trend or something we accept. I
hope it was just an oversight on
the promotor's side. I plan on
racing with this club again in the
future, and if my finishers medal
is already in my pre-race bag of
goodies when I sign up, I might
just have to something to say
about it.
CN
In the bag I
noticed was the
race's finishers
medal, which I
thought to be quite
odd—getting your
finishers award
before you even
start the race!
Well, it finally
happened a few
weeks later. I got
third overall and
brought home my
first honest-to-
goodness and well-
deserved trophy.
I was so proud.
I even took it to
school the next day
to show my friends.
