I can

• Elizabeth Morley, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2006

“Come on Em, push the pace!” “OK dad!” that was my dad trying to speed me up because I was so behind. Hi, my name is Emily Patcher even though my dad calls me Em for short, and my dad, my brother Max and I are down at the park doing lots of laps on our bike, and I am always behind them because sport and exercising is not my thing, and whenever I start to get a lead some bozo comes ‘round and knocks me out.

But hold on, I think I’m starting to gain some lead and no one seems to be around. YES! I’m going to finish this lap first! NOOOOOO!

Boy, do I have bad luck. Not only am I sobbing my eyes out because I rode straight into a tree, but because I was so close to finishing the lap first. Now this may sound like a silly thing to cry over about, but to me finishing first would be like being invited to a five star space hotel, and it is so important to me because I don’t want my dad to think I’m a nerd who loves math and plays the piano. I think should give up on sport because I am so bad at it.

THE NEXT DAY…
“I’m not going!” I shouted, “why not?’ questioned dad. I knew I couldn’t hurt his feelings so I just said “because” which wasn’t really an answer, but still. And so obviously I was forced to go to the park with them. Once we got there the usual routine happened, so I would either crash or fall behind, and this time I fell behind.

When I got to school I had the biggest shock of my life. There was a bike race and everyone who had a bike had to enter it. I said I didn’t have bike but all my classmates knew I did so they called out “yes you do!” so the teacher put my name on the list.

So here we are Monday morning at the same park that dad, max and I go to. My heart feels like it is beating at 100kph because my age race is right now and I am at the starting line. The stating signal goes and I have a great start. I am winning and we are only 50 metres from the finish line, YES.
Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! I won the race and am receiving my medal right now. All my friends were cheering for me, and my dad couldn’t be more proud of me, which means all the crashing and falling behind pays off. I guess I’m not as bad as I thought at bike riding. As the day ends and the sun goes down my spirits never will. So, if you wan to achieve something you have to just have to believe in yourself.