My Most Valuable Experience Essay Sample

The hateful mid-afternoon sun beat down us as if in complete spite and outrage that we dared defy it. As I looked up into the crowd I was reminded of the words of Mohandas Gandhi that satisfaction lies in effort and not in attainment or success. Once, during the uncomfortably ho afternoon, even the little wind that had made the rest of the morning bearable had finally kept off, so much so that the air then felt like a thick and wet blanket. My skin felt equally dry and sticky with dry sweat and dust, but it did not bother me as much as a dry mouth. Standing across a dark green net that had seen many better matches, at the left service box, was a weary, slender bodied fighter, the best tennis player that I had played this year, or so I thought. With a tightly clenched bat in his right hand, and a ball in the other, he doubled over to catch his breath, and I did the same too. Around us, was an excited crowd that burst out in gasps every other minute, undoubtedly worn down by the vicious weather, but their desperation, desire and expectation was strong.
It was the Korean National Tennis tournament, and this match had been drawn out for five whole hours. The game had more than lived up to yearly display of the junior men’s singles in this tournament, but had also delivered surprising tension and a good measure of entertainment. However, this took a heavy toll on us. I could feel the increasingly painful throbs of my heart, and the air’s burning sensation down my throat due to the mouthfuls of that I gasped in through the dry mouth. I was faint and quite sure I would black out if I stayed much longer out there. Above all, I was young, and without a care in the world, including whether I won this game or not. Frankly, at that very time, I cared more about my breakfast cereal than winning this game. My coach walked up to me, for the usual talk that he knew I did not care about. He leaned over me with his hand on my shoulder, but then realizing that his hand could be too heavy, he retracted it, and instead he just looked me into my eyes as if to say that he knew I could not do any better, but then he said “if you don't want to regret then try all the best and show everything what you got even you get faint or not”. “Sure”, I gasped.
He wanted to say more, but stopped himself, thankfully. Those words went through through my ears and into my heart. It brought up memories of great victories, and winners with great smiles. There were thousands like these in my room, filling the walls, stuffed into drawers, glued into scrapbooks, and spilling out of my closets. Like a spark, the coach’s words ignited the hot air in my chest, bringing forth a new thirst, hunger, and desire for victory, even when my body was clearly failing me. It propelled me to summon up every ounce of energy left in my body, which was now painfully difficult. I did not really want to win, but I did not want to lose either. I did not want regrets.
I won the game by a one point.
While I did not know it at the time, the fire that ignited in me a desire to win on that hot and dry summer afternoon still burns bright. While I did not know it at the time, that desperate fight and victory helped me become a determined fighter, and a believer. There have been countless times since, when I have still failed, and I suspect there will be even more in the future. I think of the million of people today that are on the endless quest to achieve one or more goals, against immense odds. My heart goes out for those that have given it all, but still failed and continue to work hard. Every time I think to myself that as long as they put in all they could, it must never matter to them whether they achieve their goals or not. I say so, because I know it was just a stroke of luck that separated me from my opponent, and I also say saw because I have put myself in my opponent’s shoes many times before, and I realize that we can still lose, even with our best efforts. I do not want to pretend I always do my best, but I live with the consolation that sometimes I do. There is not a single night when I have been able to push away the tennis scene from my mind. Each time I am faced with a difficult task I bolt awake at night, sit up in bed, throw a hand across my face to wipe the dampness from my eyes, and drift back to the uncomfortable afternoon when I felt so inadequate, but still gave the best account of myself.
I also remember that tennis game because it taught me the value hard work and preparation. I had been training for the previous ten years, and I need similarly extensive training for other tasks. Let’s face it. I would have lost that game after only a few minutes, if I had not been every minute as good as my competitor. I had worked hard in practice, and I played just as hard throughout the tournament. Particularly, I know I would have lost the game if I had not worked hard even in the depths of despair. The experience pushes me to want to achieve my goals. Since that tournament, the 17-year-old that could not stand the summer heat, has grown up to challenge himself to even greater things, only that instead of my coach leading me on, I now have an inner voice that drives me.
It is this voice within me that drove me to pursue an opportunity to further my studies in Hong Kong. I remember the shock on everybody’s face when I anounced that I would go to an English and Chinese speaking country for education. Mt uncle strongly advised against it, arguing that because I did not know a word in English, I should find a local univesrity instead. I did not. Instead, I bought a one-way ticket to Hong Kong. I had to struggle in a foreign nation, go an extra mile to learn a new language, and often had to have classes later than the regular students. Throughout this time, I always recalled the years of training for that tournament and the spirit that saw me through the difficult match. I knew that I was not to be lazy and give up on studying. I only looked forward for my good future result as I did in the tennis tournament. Due to the hard work, I quickly learned English and caught up all the schoolwork.
Today, I am an Economics major at the Royal College and predictably, a member of the institution’s tennis team. While I face hardships on many occasions, for which I am glad, these do not frustrate me. Instead, I use these difficulties to challenge myself. These challenges are no different from the bad weather and exhaustion that consumed me that summer afternoon, a long time ago, and just like then, I always now that as long as I put in my best efforts, I would never live to regret it. Since that match, I have lived my life ready to accept challenges and enjoy them.