Kerri Strug

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Kerri Strug

According to the dictionary a hero is: a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. But in this case, the hero is not a man, but a woman, who expressed great valor and gallantry. Young Kerri Strug achieved success during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. She showed courage beyond all expectations and proved herself to her teammates and audience. Her strength and courage were put to the test when she was hurt doing one of her most difficult skills and had to make a decision that could change gymnastics history forever. Kerri Strug is heroic because she is intelligent, brave, and inspiring.

Kerri Allyson Strug was born in 1977 in Tucson, Arizona to a family who was passionate about hard-work and never giving up. From the moment she could walk she was up, up, and away, always doing something. But thanks to Lisa, her older sister, she grew to be one of the most loved gymnasts in Olympic history. "The first to fall in love with gymnastics was Lisa, the oldest. She started competing when she was 8 years old" (Strug and Strug). Following in her sisters footsteps, Kerri was enrolled in a toddler gymnastics class as she "wanted to be just like her older sister" (Strug and Strug). Over time, she got better and better and her liking toward the sport grew larger and larger. By age seven, she was a full-time gymnast with long practice hours and work outs. Time passed and "at the age of 13, she finally left home with her parents' blessing (and considerable financial support) to train" at an Olympic gym with an Olympic coach, by the name of Bela Karolyi, in Houston (Newsmakers).

One thing that makes someone a hero is intelligence and Kerri is just that, intelligent. As any full-time athlete knows, managing school, sports, and other outside activities is difficult, but it can be done. Kerri's parents were passionate about giving their children a good education by going to public school so Kerri stayed in public school while managing her busy schedule. She took after-school lessons at home in Tucson while training to get extra one-on-one help. She finished high school while training at the University of Arizona. Being intelligent is a key characteristic in any hero and it helped Kerri to make good decisions and smart choices.

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Another reason that Kerri is so admirable is because she was brave. In gymnastics, there are many opportunities to show strength, talent, and leadership, but to show such bravery as what she did makes her a true hero. Kerri was to perform a hard trick on the vault and needed a high score to take home the gold medal for her team (which was never done before.) As she took a deep breath and attempted her first vault, from the minute she landed, she knew something wasn't right. At the time, she didn't know that she had torn a ligament and had a terrible sprain; all she knew was that she was badly hurt. "Images of the diminutive gymnast, her face contorted in pain, flashed across televisions worldwide the day after Strug performed a dizzying vault despite a freshly sprained ankle she suffered on her first try" (Newsmakers). Anyone could have just given up at this point and said it hurts too bad or that they cannot go on, but it takes some true courage and bravery to get back up, do the same difficult skill, and land it perfectly, all on one leg. To add to her success, she got a tenth higher score than she needed to win the gold, which is impressive in the gymnastics world. As my coach says, "Nobody remembers the ones who try and fail." It may sound harsh but thinking about it, it's true. She gave it her best shot and because of her bravery, she is remembered by athletes everywhere.

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 Kerri is not only an inspiration to me, but to many other young gymnasts as well. She sets a good example by showing athletes what it means to be a team-player and how to tough it out in the hardest situations. The inspiration she gave people got her put into the Hall of Fame in 2009 and soon after she began coaching young gymnasts at schools to help inspire them. People look up to her as an athlete, a role-model, and as a person.

Kerri Strug is heroic because she is intelligent, brave, and inspiring. As Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." And this is exactly what she did. Kerri showed much courage and because it, she achieved success. She is a strong young woman and people should try and be more like her. As long as you have a passion for something inside of you, you can do anything! Take risks in your life and go for the gold! But through everything, remember that the true win is inside of you!

Works Consulted

Brennan, Carol. "Strug, Kerri (1977-)." Newsmakers. Ed. Sean R. Pollock. Detroit: Gale

Research, 1997. Student Resource Center - Junior. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 10 May. 2012 

"Kerri Strug." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 10 May 2012.

"Kerri Strug." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 7

May 2012.

Strug, Kevin, and Karen Strug. "Official Web Site of Kerri Strug." Official Web Site of 1996 Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast Kerri Strug. Web. 10 May 2012. .