Tessa Virtue

Tessa Virtue: My Hero By: Lilly M

    What makes dreams come true? Is it willpower? Hard work? Drive? One thing I know for sure is that Tessa Virtue, Olympic champion, and dedicated athlete, made her dreams come true, and inspires me to do the things I love most to the fullest. Everyone is born ordinary, and my hero Tessa Virtue, shows me and the rest of the world, how to become an extraordinary person. She is probably one of my biggest heros, and is amazing to watch. She is someone I aspire to be like someday, and she possesses qualities I would like to have when I'm grown up. Not only does she work hard, but I don't have to know her personally to know, that she is living proof of the saying "dreams don't work unless you do".

    Tessa was born in 1989, in London, Ontario, Canada. From the early age of 8, she started figure skating, and was paired up with Scott Moir, who is currently still her partner. As of  today, she holds an Olympic gold medal title, which her and Scott achieved in the 2010 Olympics. In total, they have 13 gold medals, 15 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals. Together, they have competed at the Four Continent championships, the World Championships, the Olympic Games, the Grand Prix Final, the Canadian Championships, the World Junior Championships, the Junior Grand Prix Final, and the World Team Trophy. In their 2010-2011 season, Tessa was diagnosed with Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome, which is a disease that affects the muscles in your legs and arms. It can cause pain, swelling, and even sometimes disability. It is influenced by an intense amount of physical activity. She discovered it  after feeling an intense amount of pain in her calves and shins, and eventually underwent surgery, which, for a figure skater, is a really big deal. However, she continued to compete, and went on winning medal after medal. Over the years she has also gone to perform in Stars On Ice, and has done many shows in multiple countries across the globe. Not only is Tessa a force to be reckoned with, but she and Scott are beautiful skaters to watch.

Picture of Tessa and Scott at the 2014 Olympic Games CTV NEWS

    Lots of people have grand accomplishments, but that isn't what makes a hero. What makes a hero is their natural characteristics as a human, and Tessa Virtue has many qualities that when I am grown up, I hope to have too.  One of her biggest characteristics that I hope to have in future is her level of perseverance. Personally, I am a figure skater, and I've only been skating for two years now, but it is hands-down my favourite sport, and I know how much effort and work is put into those few minutes in the end. I've heard that you have to put 10,000 hours into something to master it, and I'm sure Tessa Virtue is getting pretty close to that, because she is already a Canadian Olympic champion, which is proof of her always giving her all. Also, to be able to recover from something very serious like surgery must have been so painful for her, but the thing is, she got back up, and laced up her skates. Another big characteristic that I want to share with her one day, is how she not only is a dreamer, but a dream-achiever. When she was younger, Tessa described what she has accomplished now as "childhood dreams". But now, those dreams have turned to a reality, and I know that because of her and Scott, sadly mentioning they might actually retire. I know that an amazingly strong person like Tessa Virtue wouldn't retire just because she felt like it. It means that she has made her dreams come true, and that they can't really get any bigger than that, so she has achieved them. My dreams might not be the exact same as Tessa Virtue's were/are, but when I decide to retire, I want to feel the same way as she probably feels, like you've made a difference.

    In conclusion, I want to reveal the answer to the question "What makes dreams come true?". The answer is, all of the above. Tessa Virtue used qualities that she found in herself to make hers come true, and I don't want to sound cheesy, but everyone can make their own dreams come true, whether they are small, or life-changing. Tessa Virtue is a someone that I have never met in person, but I don't need to, to see that all of those hours have payed off, and that if I work that hard and strive for something, it really does do something.