The Phoenix, 2022

Going for Gold By Jack Sherner It was winter of 1979. Less than a year from the start of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games. Will, a 17 year old boy, had been dreaming of being an Olympic athlete his entire life. Ever since he got to watch an Olympic swimming race when he was little, he had worked resiliently to achieve this goal. Will was determined, and there was nothing that would get in his way. He had been swimming most of his life, and still greatly enjoyed it. Swimming gave him a feeling that nothing else did.

While also training for swimming, Will was a good student, who focused on his academics, but not nearly as much as his swimming. He still made sure to focus on school, since he knew it was just as important.

His parents told him, “Just because you are a great athlete, doesn’t mean school doesn’t matter.” As a great student and incredible athlete, his parents were always extremely proud, especially his mom. Will’s mom had grown up swimming, and was the one who first introduced it to him. His success in swimming created a special bond between the two, since they both shared a great love for the sport. However, Will’s brother, Kevin, was not the same. Kevin, also a swimmer, was quite good, but not nearly as good as Will. The two had a close relationship, but issues always arose, as Kevin constantly felt jealous of Will. He saw the way that Will seamlessly glided through the water, almost as if he was flying. He wanted to be like Will, but knew it would be hard to get to his level. It was apparent that Will was special, as he had heard people talk about him before.

People said things like, “That kid’s got talent”, or “He is special!”

Kevin never heard that about himself, and was obviously disappointed by it. Even though Will was preparing to be an Olympic athlete, he still had to pay attention to school. He was constantly bored by his classes, and was always looking forward to the end of the day. After a while, Will would lose focus, and not even hear his teachers speaking.

His math teacher, who was known for being grumpy, would always yell at him. By now, Will knew what he would say.

“Will! Pay attention! This is extremely important.”

As startling as it was, it’s effects only lasted for a few minutes, as Will would again have trouble listening to the boring class. His best friend 58