Panting. Grunting. Sweating. Bleeding. But I keep moving. There are three minutes left on the clock out of five minutes. I watched his every move, the degree at which he throws his hand, the placement of his feet, and his posture. Looking, like a big cat, for the right time to pounce. There! There it is! His stance is crooked! I dive in with a power double-leg takedown. Clash! We are now grappling on the floor. I'm looking for any mistakes to mount him, armbar him, and lead myself to victory with a submission.
My legs were burning; my arms were shaking. My mind was telling me to give up. “Stop! Enough! You did your best!” But no, I couldn't listen to the voice in my head. I had to listen to my desire to win. There! Wrong move. I S-mount behind him, grab his arm straight, and pull my other arm through his neck to lace my arms together. I had to give it my all. Pull. Pull! Pull! He tapped. Whistle blew. I won.
As I was celebrating, I heard weeping. I turned around, and it was my opponent. I stopped celebrating and immediately ran towards him to aid him to his corner. I sat with him for as long as he wanted, telling him everything he needed to hear and listened to everything he had to say. I even bought him ice cream to cheer him up. I could have been in that situation as well, and I treated him as I would have wanted myself to be treated.
In a dog-eat-dog world, people lack empathy for each other. They put themselves first, which is what is leading humanity to its downfall. In contrast, I want to help individuals as much as possible and then help myself because that is what gives me peace. I believe my innate ability to put others before myself; my altruistic instincts and ambitious mind; and my ability to empathize with people, make me an ideal candidate for the University of California.