Nancy Kerrigan

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"When the world says, 'Give up,' Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.'"("Perseverance Quotes" ). No one believed that Nancy Kerrigan was capable of making it to the Olympics, but she had a goal. She was confident that she could make it and that was all that mattered. Kerrigan is a hero because of her dedication and perseverance to her passion, figure skating. Dedication is the willingness to make vast sacrifices to achieve a goal, and perseverance is the aspect that allows a person to keep pushing through a challenging situation. Nancy Kerrigan was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, where she grew up with two brothers who played hockey. She began skating at the age of 6 and was a natural. Her parents encouraged her to pursue her talent, and were constantly  supporting her dreams no matter the circumstance. In her adolescence, she woke up every morning at 4 A.M to skate before school and she did not mind because she loved being at the rink.. On January 6 of 1994, Kerrigan was attacked by what seemed to be someone who was hired by a fellow competitor's ex husband. Nancy became more known as the victim of assault than the figure skater, but she did not let that stop her from pursuing her dreams. If anything, it made her want to work harder. From the start, Kerrigan was winning medals left and right and finally she attained her goal and won silver in the 1994 Olympics despite all the obstacles she went through.

Kerrigan's dedication was aimed at her goals and she was willing to do anything to achieve them. Despite being so young, she found her passion and devoted everything including, "... most of her young life chasing an Olympic dream" ("Nancy Kerrigan." ). Kerrigan was a dedicated girl. Most children at her age are yet to discover their passion. She, however, found hers and never abandoned it. She had a special place in her heart for skating. Her dedication is what set her aside from other figure skaters as she dedicated her youth to improvement and was willing to work a million times harder to reach her goal of being recognized on the 1994 Olympic podium. After her traumatizing attack, she was not able to compete in the second day of the competition, which abolished the opportunity of her placing. Even though she didn't compete or win, the Olympic coach concluded that she deserved to be part of their team. "Her dedication earned Nancy a place on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team" ("Nancy Kerrigan." ). The likelihood of an injured skater making the Olympic team is slim . Kerrigan worked vigorously every day until that moment, which proved her dedication. There was not a day where she slacked off, and that's what got her a place on the Olympic team. Even though she didn't place at nationals, the national committee decided she deserved a spot.  They knew as soon as she recovered she would be back at the rink not making excuses or letting anything stop her. Kerrigan's dedication is what makes her a positive societal influence. She did everything and anything to accomplish what she was pursuing since a young age.

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Kerrigan persevered through something no one ever expected to happen. Her attack happened so suddenly that she, nor anyone else, knew what was going on. "Struck by a club-wielding assailant, she collapsed inside Detroit's Cobo Arena on a snowy January afternoon, sobbing from an injury to her right knee. As the public came to know the particulars of her attack, turning what initially seemed senseless violence into riveting drama, Kerrigan the Victim became more famous than Kerrigan the Skater" ("Nancy Kerrigan." ). After the attack Kerrigan was known all over the nation as the victim rather than the figure skater. She had a competition the next day, which she was unable to compete in due to her injuries, but as soon as she recovered, she got right back on the ice and started to train for the winter Olympics. Surprising everyone around the world, one month later, she competed at the winter Olympics and won silver. She refused to submit to her affliction. She stayed focused on her ambitions until she finally attained her objective. She did, however, struggle with the publicity of her attack. "Kerrigan's pained call for help seconds after the attack it was captured by television cameras and newspapers worldwide." ("Nancy Kerrigan." ). Kerrigan's attack was an unforeseen occurrence, and the situation was only made worse by its notoriety, caused by all the attention of the news. Society was reluctant to put their faith in her ability to recover, but she did not give up which allowed her to refute those who did dot believe in her. Perseverance is what helped Kerrigan recover so quickly in order to continue in pursuit of her passion. Which  also is what redeemed her, and showed everyone around her that she would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

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Kerrigan's dedication and perseverance is inspiring to anyone who has heard her story. She had experienced career ending trauma, but her tenacity and strong will held her together and kept her pushing towards her ambitions. She spent a copious amount of time in the rink due to her brothers' love for hockey, and from there she began growing a strong sentiment for ice skating. It is inspiring, as in one's adolescence, it is difficult to find the discipline to embrace only one profession. Her dedication to her love for figure skating influences children to chase their dreams and aspirations. Kerrigan and her family are an inspiration as they hold each other up through hardships and display a positive outlook on life. They all make sacrifices to help each other achieve their goals. Dedicating her life to figure skating and being able to recover from such a horrendous attack in time to compete at an Olympic level is an inspiration to anyone who thinks they can not get back up on their feet. It costed Kerrigan her blood, sweat, and tears, but when she got to experience the pride of standing on the podium, it became worth it.

Works Cited

"Nancy Kerrigan." Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 9 Nov. 2015, www.biography.com/people/nancy-kerrigan-533694. Accessed 1 May 2017.

"Nancy Kerrigan." Great Athletes (Salem Press), Oct. 2001, p. 3130. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=5391053&site=brc-live.

"Nancy Kerrigan." Newsmakers, Gale, 1994. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1618001738/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=cc3022d6. Accessed 3 May 2017.

"Nancy Kerrigan." Great Women in Sports, Gale, 1996. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1615000070/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=b92c04a2. Accessed 3 May 2017.

"Perseverance Quotes (Persistence, Determination, Hang In There, Dedication, Inspirational)." Perseverance Quotes (Persistence, Determination, Hang In There, Dedication, Inspirational), www.quotegarden.com/perseverance.html. Accessed 11 May 2017.