1 . I had been swimming for years but was ready to quit. My _________ reason was that I kept receiving “Honorable Mentions”, just because I showed up.

One day before a big swim meet, I decided to _________ the news to my grandma that I was _________ the swim team. When I told her, she said, “Baby, remember: Quitters never win and winners never quit.” I was _______   to say anything but “Yes, ma’am.”

The next day we arrived at the swim meet late, _________ my group. My coach _________ I swim with the older group. I knew she was _________ me in the race so our journey to the meet would not be wasted, and she had no expectations that I would _________ anything but eighth place as there weren’t nine _________.

As I was __________ the board, my grandmas words rang in my head. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

SPLASH! I swam harder than ever. After a little while, I was __________ to find that I had a half-body length ________ over others. However, they soon __________ the gap. Halfway through the race, the girl to my left almost ________ me. Right then, the powerful words __________ again in my ears. I __________ my arms and legs and used every last bit of __________ to swim the last 50 meters.

I made it! Narrow victory as it was, I did win my first real __________ that day. Everything felt like a dream as I stood on the winner’s __________. Back at home, I __________ replaced all the “Honorable Mentions” on my shelf.

5 . Almost no one knows the world of competitive climbing like Janja Garnbret, an Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion. Having risen to the top of the sport, the Slovenian now is using her platform to raise awareness of the “cultural trap” in climbing. She says it is contributing to a widespread issue with eating disorders.

The problem is from an outdated idea that weighing less means you climb faster. Such a mindset has created an environment where young athletes start skipping or cutting down on meals, she says, sometimes to disastrous effect. Despite not having issues with eating disorders herself, she is more than aware of friends and fellow competitors who have damaged their bodies in the pursuit of a thinner figure.

“I have to recognize that weight does have some role to play in the sport. I also want to win, but I’m a strong believer that you can do climbing, or any sport, in a healthy way. Luckily I didn’t fall into this trap.” She says.

“I was trying hard to help them get out of it, but it didn’t work. It was really hard for me to see them destroying themselves, mentally and physically.” It was experiences such as this that inspired Gambret to post a message on the social platform in July 2023 about eating disorders. The post sparked a huge response throughout the climbing community and attracted support from the likes of US rock climber Sasha DiGiulian.

In her message, Garnbret spoke about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) — a syndrome (综合征) that occurs when someone of any gender has overtrained and/or undereaten for a long period in an attempt to improve their athletic performance, often without knowing the dangers of failing to compensate (补偿) for the energy they consume in training, racing and their daily lives. Left untreated, medical experts say REDs can damage an athlete’s bone health, immune system, and psychological health, as well as his athletic performance.

6 . Our much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition is back! Enter for the chance to win prizes of up to £1,000. It is a chance to show the world your storytelling talents! Entries (参赛作品) are now open.

Rules and conditions

Please ensure that entries are created by yourself, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title)—not a single word shorter or longer! Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number. We may use entries in all print and electronic media. Multiple entries are allowed per person. We are unfortunately only able to consider UK-based entries. Please submit your stories by 5pm on January 5, 2024 either online or by post.

Terms and prizes

There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12. The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at our website on February 1,2024. You can vote for your favourite and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on February 29, 2024 and the winning entries will be published in our May 2024 issue, and posted online on April 16, 2024.

★In the adults category, the winner will receive £1,000 and one runner-up will receive £300.

★In the 12-18s category, the winner will receive£200 or a Kind le Paperwhite, and the runner-up will receive a £100 books voucher.

★In the under-12 category, the winner will receive £100 or a Kindle Paperwhite and £100 of book vouchers for their school, and the runner- up will receive a £50 books voucher.

7 . NPR’s STUDENT PODCAST CHALLENGE IS BACK — WITH A FOURTH — GRADE EDITION!

Microphone? Check. Headphones? Ready. A story you just can’t stop talking about? Got it! Yup, it’s time again for NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge. And we’re here to announce the opening bell of year six of this annual competition.

In our first half-decade, we’ve listened to podcasts from more than 80,000 young people all over the country. Students have deeply poured into their microphones personal stories about their families or their identities and serious issues, like how changing climate is impacting lives. On our end, we’ve listened to your feedback each year — great suggestions that have brought our ongoing College Podcast Challenge, and a special prize last year for the best podcast about mental health.

This year, we’ve got a big new change: Since the beginning, the contest has been open for students in grades five through twelve. But this year we are introducing our first-ever fourth grade contest! The sixth annual Student Podcast Challenge is now open for entries and will close on May 3, 2024. Our judges will choose winners in three categories: grade four, grades five through eight, and grades nine through twelve.

As in the past, entries must be submitted by a teacher, educator, or tutor who is 18 years or older. And don’t forget all the tips, advice and lesson plans we’ve compiled over the years, especially the rules around the maximum length of eight minutes, and about the use of music. The podcast should be completed independently. After years of listening to student podcasts, we’ve learned that shorter is better.

10 . Football is one of those sports that develop a strong bond between teammates. It requires every member to _________ the player next to him/her. At Eastern Michigan University’s team, Zack Conti was the hardest-working player, but he didn’t receive a scholarship.

Conti’s teammate Brian Dooley discovered that Conti was doing everything he could to _________ team practices, studies and had to pay his way through school for four years. Then Dooley turned to Chris Creighton, head football coach, who explained that the _________ was 85 scholarships a period and it was hard and _________. The next day, Dooley went into Chris Creighton’s office, saying, “Coach, I’ve talked it over with my family and I’m _________ to give up my scholarship as a gift to Zack Conti. He really _________ it.”

At a team meeting, Creighton made the _________ and handed Conti the scholarship. The team burst into wild cheers, and Conti was soon _________ beneath his teammates who were jumping up and down in _________.

When asked about the decision, Dooley shared, “I did it because I’ve seen Conti __________ over the years. Seeing him walk away from something that he loves did not sit __________ with me. Giving up my scholarship so he can stay and play __________ everything. Competition can __________ us to be better people. Through competition, we can learn that a team isn’t really about competing at all, but cooperating to reach a united goal.”

For most student athletes in all sports, the __________ they get from their teammates is what helps them get through the challenge of __________ the relationship between work, school and athletics.