Winning Isn’t Everything by Kalista

Jimmy does not ask for much every Christmas. Maybe a new bike, a football, or some other item to fuel his physical activities. He is not one of those kids that needs a lot. His priorities do not lie in materialistic stuff. No, not Jimmy. Jimmy is a winner at heart and that is what he strives to do in everything. His little league football games; he has to win. His elementary school spelling bee; he has to win. Any board game on family night; he has to win! Yet there is one thing that has been bugging him the past three years that he cannot seem to get off his mind. The annual Town of Elmira Christmas Sled Race. It takes place every year on the Saturday before Christmas. This race is the one thing that Jimmy wants to win the most.

            This race is not for the feint of heart. It is a one-hundred-and-seventy-foot plummet down an icy hill, then a little baby hill going up and finishing going back down. Picture it to be a very crooked and lopsided letter “S”. The race brings together kids and adults of all ages and ideals. There are three different races depending on the age group. Jimmy is part of the youngest age group which started at 5 and went up to 12 years old. It is a competitor’s choice to what kind of sled they use and there is liberty to construct the most creative sled possible. Jimmy is fortunate to have his father who helps create highly aerodynamic sleds that are top of the line compared to the rest of the town. Jimmy has been in the winner’s circle since the first year he was allowed to compete.

            This brings us to Jimmy’s biggest obstacle standing in his way of winning. A ten-year-old girl by the name of Sarah. Sarah has won the race the past two years and she is this year’s favorite. Sarah has two years on Jimmy, and she is almost a foot taller than him. She is an incredible athlete and is one of the best junior skiers in the region. The most ironic part about this girl is she is Jimmy’s older sister. Jimmy and his sister love each other but, when it comes to winning there can only be one. Sarah drives Jimmy crazy because she makes winning look so easy. Jimmy prides himself on his effort and the rewarding feeling of getting what he deserves. No matter how hard he has tried, he still cannot seem to beat her.

            This last year, Jimmy felt very confident going into the race. He and his sister were on opposite ends of the swarm of kids getting ready to slide down this humungous hill. He was a good ten feet ahead of everyone else on his side but by the end he could see one person with a lead ahead of him, none other than Sarah. It discourages Jimmy. Not because of the prize that you get for coming in first but to be standing atop the podium in front of the whole town. He wants that glory!

            Now he is determined. Jimmy has gone above and beyond the construction of his sled this year to ensure that it will be the fastest sled on the hill that day. He is even tempted to try and go up an age bracket this year and face the teenagers. Jimmy asked his father a couple days ahead of the race, “Do you think I can win this year?” His father hesitated to not lie to his son; he responded, “Jimmy, do not let whether you win or lose dictate how you look at yourself.” This did not make sense to Jimmy. Since Jimmy could remember all he can think of is being the best at everything he does and being the best for him means being better than everyone else. Jimmy’s parents are not sure where he got this attitude from because they always encouraged him to do his best no matter the outcome. He has just taken it upon himself to adopt this obsession with winning.

            Two days ahead of the race, Jimmy is sitting in his room. Sarah walks in and takes a seat on the edge of his bed. She asks him, “So, how do you feel about the race this year?” Jimmy says, “Really good! Tommy from down the street and Kevin are rumored to have really good sleds this year but I am not worried about them. How about you?” Sarah takes a breath and goes, “Jimmy do you want me to drop out of the race?” Jimmy immediately responds, “No! Most definitely not! You must be in that race.” “But Jimmy I know how bad you want to win”, Sarah explains. “I can win. I will beat you. That is the only person I care about winning”, Jimmy tells her spitefully. Sarah then looks at him with a curious look, “Fine Jimmy. I want to see you win so best of luck Saturday.” She leaves the room and Jimmy is thinking, “She thinks I can only win if she is not in the race? I will show her that she is wrong. I am a year older and much more determined to win!”

            The conversation put Jimmy in a strange frame of mind. Would his sister really give up the race so that he could win? How is she so confident that he cannot beat her? At this point Jimmy had no choice. He had to win or else he would be a sham; a fake, a phony… a loser. So, these next forty-eight hours were a testament to what preparation could mean. Jimmy polished his sled so much it was basically transparent. His blades were so smooth that it was a health hazard for anyone near them. He made sure to weigh the sled about one hundred times to make sure that the distribution was perfect for him to travel the most aerodynamically down that hill. After everything he felt he “needed” to do, he just sat in his room and visualized. Jimmy imagined standing at the top of the hill looking down to the finish. He though of all the other sled racers. He though about his sister. He pictured looking at her at the starting line, giving her a stern look of conviction. Then at the end finding her gaze again and giving her a look of triumph. Jimmy could see it all, and he believed that he would finally do it.

            It is the day of the race. Jimmy is surprisingly not as nervous as the past few years. Breakfast that morning is quiet aside from his parents talking about the friends they have not seen in a couple months and wondering how they are doing. In the car ride to the hill, Jimmy made it a point to sit as far away from Sarah as possible. Sarah did not seem to be bothered by any of Jimmy’s antics. When they arrive, it takes about ten minutes to find a parking spot. The whole town is at this event; the pressure is on. The smell of hot cocoa is carried throughout the park and there are so many people there it is hard to tell who is who. Jimmy does not waste time and goes straight to the check in table to get his number for the race. It is strictly business today for Jimmy. He makes his way to the ski lift and goes up by himself. At the top of the hill he is looking down at all the spectators and he takes in a breath of fresh air. It is a clear blue day.

            The announcer on the loud speaker gets everybody’s attention. “Good morning Elmira! Welcome to the 37th annual Town Sled Race. As always are youngest age group will start us off today!”, the announcer voice booms over the crowd. “We have our two time reining champion with us today, Sarah Thompson! She can be found in the middle of the pack today in a stylish blue ski outfit. Hey Sarah!” Sarah waves to the announcer and the rest of the audience today. Jimmy is three spots to the left of her. He wants to be closer to her today so he can gauge his speed and his competition. The referees line all of the kids up at the starting line which is exactly 10 feet from the start of the hill. The kids get a running start to gain momentum going down the hill. This is also to prevent any false starters from sliding all the way down.

            “On your mark, get set, Go!” the announcer’s voice echoes. Jimmy hits the hill on a perfect approach and is off to an impeccable start. The first fifty feet is almost a blur of acceleration. Many of the other kids fall behind besides a few. Jimmy has an eye on one in particular from the corner of his right eye. Sarah is maybe a split second behind Jimmy. Jimmy knows that she weighs more though, so her top speed might push her ahead. Jimmy leans further forward risking flipping just to put more weight on the front. This proves to be a smart decision as he starts to gain more speed. At this point they are approaching the bottom of the big hill. Jimmy and Sarah are neck and neck, only a few feet apart from each other. All the other kids are far enough behind where it does not matter. As they come to the short hill that climbs up, Jimmy takes a second to look at Sarah. It is almost like she knew what he was thinking because she looked right back at him at the same time. Jimmy for a brief moment felt a twinge of guilt for being rude to his sister. She was one of the biggest inspirations in his life and always had his back. He knew he should have never been rude to her.

            Coming down the small hill they reach the final twenty feet of the race. It is so hard to tell who is in front at this point. The crowd is screaming so loud it must be echoing throughout the entire town. Then in the blink of an eye something happens. Someone fell off their sled. Jimmy looks back; Sarah is staring up at him from the ground, and she gives him a soft smile. Jimmy crosses the finish line. He is the winner! His parents are there to congratulate him along with all the other people in the town. However, Jimmy does not feel good about it. He feels like he did not really win. Did Sarah fall off on purpose? Jimmy starts to look for her. She is still in the same spot being helped by some race supervisors. Jimmy asks, “What happened?” Sarah responds, “I leaned too far forward, I knew it was a risk, but you were ahead of me at this point and I had no choice.” Jimmy says, “So, you did not do it on purpose?” Sarah laughs and goes, “No Jimmy. You win this. Fair and square. Good job.” Jimmy takes a second then tells his sister, “Thank you for always looking out for me. You are the best big sister in the world.” They hug and then their parents join them. Jimmy comes to an internal realization. Winning is not everything. The yearning for competition and the lessons you gain from losses are much more important than a win. He cannot wait to race again next year.

Author’s Bio

Kalista M is a seventeen-year-old writer who greatly enjoys using her writing as a way to tell her story. Kalista likes to express all of her emotions by writing it down on a piece of paper, whether she is sharing it with the world or just to keep it to herself.