A close call

• Rebecca Gad, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2005

A close call




It was just amazing. It all started when I was young, I didn’t like sport at all, in fact I disliked sport as much as Brussels sprouts but one day when I was in year six we were told we all had to practice high jump for our sports carnival. It was the first time I’d ever attended high jump but it wasn’t to be the last. I believed I wouldn’t make it over the bar and I was nervous. After everybody had a turn including me, (yes, I surprisingly made the jump) I found out that I had jumped the highest. I felt so happy and wanted to do better jump.

I asked my mum if she could buy me a high jump set, she cautiously said okay. Every day I would run home as fast as a cheetah so I could practice my jumping techniques.

When I was in year 12 I joined a club called “The Jumperoo’s”. It was my chance to go to the Olympics. When I joined the club they snapped me up straight away and I was off to Barcelona.

There was only three months until the Olympics were to be held. I practiced every day, day and night, trying to make the highest jump I could. I was exhaust and sore but I so badly wanted to win. Nothing would stop me not even a semi trailer.

The big day finally arrived. It was so nerve racking. There were heaps of people at the stadium. 100 people were going up against me. I was 50th in the line. The first couple of jumpers were bad but then the others started to get better. I felt my palms go sweaty and my heart trying to punch its way through my chest and then I was called…

I started at 3 meters and I made it, I then made 4 meters, then 5 meters, then 6 meters. Finally I cleared 10 meters. Everybody who’d jumped felt jealous, some of the audience were cheering for me. I took my run; I felt like nothing could stop me. I jumped like an eagle gliding through the sky. I glanced down, I had made it over 11 meters, I was as happy as Larry but the triumph wasn’t to last, I was still gliding, gliding past the safety mat. Suddenly I landed on the cemented floor on my head. The sound was like a chair breaking. Everything went black.

Somebody called an ambulance. Everybody thought I’d broken my spine or damaged my brain. In the hospital they took me to the emergency section. The doctor took an X-ray and 2 hours later told me I was fine. He said “I needed to wrap my head and stay in bed.

Two days later, I received a gold medal with a note saying “you achieved the highest jump, congratulations. Hope you get better soon from the Olympic committee”. I was filled with joy, I won and I was alive and well, it was a close call!

By:Rebecca Gad
emilegad@yahoo.com