Youth Diaries: Conquering

By Kayl Gunther

I love to dance! It brings me so much joy when I nail a perfect turn, soar in a leap, or stretch my leg further past my head. Dance has always been one of the areas of my life where I push myself to the limit. In dance, I shoot for the stars. I have dreams of one day dancing in college or dancing at BYU as a Cougarette. However, recently I have found those dreams becoming less and less possible.

When I was ten, I found out I had scoliosis. This is a spinal deformity in which a person’s spine grows crooked instead of straight. I have a 46 degree curve in my lumbar spine.

This has never caused me much pain until a couple of months ago. This past dance season, I had to drop out of my competitive team moments before we went on stage because the pain was just too much. I also had to drop out of the end of year recital and all my dance classes to give my back time to heal.

I was miserable and stressed. I worried about the valuable time I was losing in which I could have been improving as a dancer. I was worried that I would never be able to dance again or that I would never be able to dance the way I used to. I felt hopeless; I felt as though my back had conquered me in a battle I didn’t even know I was fighting.

However, slowly but surely, my back has begun to heal. I have had to be patient and careful. I have had to learn that sometimes our life dreams and goals may need to be adjusted. Despite my setbacks, I feel as though I have grown as a dancer. I have been able to get out of my head and to brush off my mistakes more easily. I have been increasingly more grateful for my beautiful body and its ability to function and perform the way I want it to. Even though I will probably deal with back pain for the rest of my life, I know that with patience and hard work, I can do more than achieve my dreams; I can conquer anything!

About the Author

Kayl Gunther is a sophomore at Desert Hills High School and Utah Online. She can often be found practicing her violin, reading, doing crazy flexible stretches, and trying to remind her three younger brothers that she is in charge. Kayl is interested in pursuing a career in medicine or science while dancing and being a mom. She also dreams of completing an IRONMAN and becoming a cake decorator.