Finalist 3

What is the most memorable day of your life and why?

The tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, stands 29,032 feet above sea level. It continually challenges extraordinary and well-experienced climbers. Although my challenge stands slightly lower at 2,706 feet in Scottsdale, Arizona, Camelback Mountain allowed me to push towards new beginnings. Throughout this hike, I faced obstacles full of steep rocks and uneven surfaces, which did not help my intense fear of heights. To begin, Camelback Mountain was a hike that my family had planned to do during our trip to Arizona. I was filled with excitement and in awe of the complex scenery compared to living in Illinois. I had limited ideas about what I was getting myself into, as my focus was on the unique views. Knowing heights has scared me before; nothing I have previously experienced prepared me for this moment.

The hike started off a simple dirt trail with a slight incline, but soon changed when I approached a smooth, steep, upwards climb accompanied by a railing. Depending on my limited upper body strength and foggy eyes filled with tears, I managed to make it up. The rest of the hike seemed to only get steeper and harder to complete. I started to easily understand why this hike had warning signs posted before starting. As I tried my best to stay calm and push through, my biggest supporters were my parents. At that moment, they addressed my nerves and talked to me through helpful methods to reduce my panic. While they helped me get up little by little, and to everyone’s surprise, we made it to the top. Looking past the heat, tears and fear, I stood 2,706 feet in the air. With fright pumping through my veins, the sense of accomplishment started to overpower me. I came to realize on my way down that perseverance is the driving force behind being successful.

Nevertheless, achieving Camelback did not diminish my fear of heights; it provided me with a greater belief in my ability to look beyond my limitations to accomplish newfound goals. In addition to realizing I could accomplish much more by persevering in my daily life, that day allowed me to fall in love with the life I am blessed with and myself as a person. This hike also made it clear that it is okay to ask for assistance in life to help ease the journey. Without my parents’ support throughout the climb, I most likely would have turned around. While I am glad that did not happen, it revealed to me that I still have room for personal growth.

All in all, the mindset in which I live has forever changed due to the journey up that mountain. I am now reminding myself to allow help from others as I continue to work while also growing as an individual through self-determination. In the future, I will grow and overcome many obstacles that are bound to come my way. The climb showed me that I can conquer hardship when I put my mind to it. Camelback will always remind me to force challenges, physically and mentally, to achieve success. Ultimately, I will value the memory of that day I stepped foot on the top of Camelback Mountain.