Tubby

I tried many sports such as gymnastics, horseback riding, tennis, and swimming when I was growing up. For about two and a half years, I believed horseback riding was the sport for me. However, what I truly enjoyed the most out of horseback riding was the ability to interact and bond with animals. The bond I formed with my horse, Harriet, was a relationship I’m genuinely grateful for. While I loved horseback riding for the chance to be around horses, it wasn’t a sport I could see myself doing long-term.

My friend Sreya and I decided to play a sport together in eighth grade. The only problem was we did not know what sport to pick. One day, we were in the Kohl’s complex’s parking lot, and a coach came up to us. He asked if we were interested in joining squash. At the time, I thought squash was just a vegetable. Since neither of us knew of the sport, the coach started to explain it to us. We were both intrigued by the idea of the game and decided to give it a shot. Soon I went to my first squash lesson and quickly adapted to the game.

I excelled quickly in a couple of months and even got to play in my first tournament. I did not win in the first tournament, but it made me determined to practice harder. I even ended up winning second place in the GU17 box at the North Carolina tournament. A sport that I thought was just a vegetable ended up becoming my favorite one.