I will never, ever forget my school sports days. I will always remember the loud cheers, my feeble attempts at triple jump, and the cans of coloured hairspray that turned my head from brown to sparkly blue as fast as you can say ‘tunnel spoke.’ But there was one thing I always hated about sports carnivals: the 100-metre sprint. Something about standing at the starting line and waiting for the race to begin was the most stomach-turning, near-vomit inducing part of my day. I swear I could hear my heart beating as I placed my foot in front of the white painted line. I was a decent sprinter, but I wasn’t good enough to win if I didn’t take off within a millisecond of the starter’s pistol. The perfect start felt like the difference between glory and failure, and the worst part about it all was…waiting. Waiting for the race to begin, and waiting to see whether things would pan out in my favour. Amidst this festival of fear going on in my brain, a bang would suddenly erupt into the atmosphere. The race would have begun, and miraculously my arms would start swinging through the air and my feet would be pumping hard on the grass (no shoes of course – no shoes makes you go faster). Once I started barrelling toward the finish line, all the apprehension seemed to fade away. Even before the race was over I felt a mix of emotions: relief that I had started, and elation because I was sprinting as fast as I could toward my goal.
Funnily enough, I felt a si
milar sense of anxiety when I started Country to Canberra (albeit with way more excitement). There was a lot to do, and I spent days upon days writing lists, making project plans, and getting my ducks in a row. This wasn’t a bad thing, as I had to set a direction. I had to think strategically about my goals and devise a realistic, yet adaptable, plan. However, there comes a time for action. Once I started putting one foot in front of another, the fear faded away. I realised I could do all of the things that had been making me feel uncertain. Sure, I felt out of breath at times, and I needed to look at my friends and family on the sidelines for encouragement. But ultimately, I would never have had met the people I have met, or gained the skills I have gained, without jumping in the fast lane and giving it a go. I believe the same principles apply for girls thinking about entering Country to Canberra’s essay competition. There’s no point waiting to do something tomorrow when you can pursue it today. I encourage you to fight whatever is holding you back, unleash your inner Usain Bolt (#iwentthere) and give it a go. You could win! You could get your essay published. You could meet some of the most powerful women in the nation. No matter what happens, you will start taking steps toward your own personal finish line. At the end of the life’s crazy carnival, learning to shed fear and seize opportunities is the one of the most important achievements of all.
– Hannah.