2006 was the first time I was exposed to track and field, I was in grade 8. The year before I was a member of a school running club so I decided to go out for cross country and track the year after. With no set event I tried my hand at running, jumping and throwing. I had limited success only advancing to the Regional meet for long jump. Even though I had my strongest performance in the long jump, I developed a passion for the triple jump. Over the summer I started to train by myself almost everyday at the local track, doing countless full-out jumps, probably as many as 20-25 jumps a day. Of course this ended up in injury, I strained both my hamstrings by September and gave up training for the fall and winter. I didn't jump again until the spring when school track started up again. While Pb'ing by about two meters I didn't end up advancing past the county meet (I believe I jumped 9.50m which felt unbelievably far at the time). Just the same I felt that I wanted to continue on in the sport. My grade 9 English teacher brought a club to my attention that trained all year round called Chebucto Athletics.  
 At this point my goal for the sport was to qualify for provincials in the next season, a seemingly unrealistic goal. I joined the club and trained through the summer struggling through the most basic drills such as fast foot and A skip. I did improve though, and by the end of the season I even got my Pb up to 10.14m. As the summer came to a close my coach mentioned the chance at qualifying for the provincial team next season to go to youth nationals. Looking at the standard, 12.80m I laughed at that idea.
 Through the winter I began to comprehend most of the basic drills and by March I even pulled off a meter Pb at 11.14m. I was feeling good coming into the school and my goal of making it to the provincial final seemed almost guaranteed. Well not only did I qualify but I also finished third in the triple jump (11.90m) and second in the 4x400m relay. At this point I started to seriously consider making the provincial team but I knew I would have to jump much farther then I ever had before. I ended up finishing second at the selection meet, beating my teammate by 4cm on sixth jump (12.30m) and was the 37th out of 38 people selected to the team. At the championships I finished twelfth setting a slight Pb at 12.39m.  
 With my first full track season coming to a close I set unbelievably high goals for the next season (at the time they seemed reasonable). I vowed to jump 14.00m by the next season to qualify for the 2009 Canada games team. I also wanted to finished top 2 at youth nationals in the next season. Through the fall I was feeling good and I still thought my goals were reasonable. The first impasse that I reached was in January where I tore apart my left knee at practice during a standing triple jump. Originally I was afraid that I might miss the next practice in two days time. Well those two days passed and so did 200 more. As it turned out it didn't heal to a satisfactory level until the end of July, even at the end of August I could feel the after-effects. All through the competition season I received disappointment after disappointment because of my physical condition and mental goals. At the provincial final I jumped 12.20m, receiving a bitter bronze medal. Even at the Canada games trials I feel short of my 14.00m goal jumping 12.50m.  
 With youth nationals the last meet of the season and my current Pb at 12.87m, I put all my hope into three jumps, one of which became a very emotional jump. My first jump was 12.58m, the second 12.74m and the third being the most bittersweet of them all. The first two phases felt huge compared to my first two jumps, and the last phase felt good until the landing. My left elbow hit roughly 30cm behind my body and the jump ended up be 12.83m, an effort not even good enough to make the final. I was devastated, each jump had been better then the last and I knew that if I had three final jumps each one would be farther then the potential 13.13m jump(not counting the majority of the board that was left) that I had just jumped. After the competition I just started to run laps around the warm up soccer field, I ran farther and harder then I had all year. The only thing that went through my mind was “what if?”. I started to think of what could have been, what should have been. Eventually I began to calm down and tried to think logically. I began to think of what is, what just happened. I proved that I had the potential to jump well into the 13's while being injured for nearly 8 months. I started to regain hope for the 2010 season and I finally accepted what just happened (although as I started to walk back towards the track I did start to get a little choked up again).  
 Last season I set my goals high, and I crashed on the way. Even though the past season has been a disaster there is still hope for next year. I'm not going to set specific goals this season, for I know if I do I'll crash and burn again. This year I'm going to train harder then I ever have before, work harder then I ever thought possible and whatever happens, happens. The only thing I know for sure is my elbow well never land behind me again.