1 . When I was 6, my 14-year-old brother brought me to the local BMX track to ride in a kid's bike race. The hill out of the starting gate looked so scary and _________ that I backed up and wouldn't ride. The next week, my parents took me back for another _________. Soon after setting off, I fell immediately but still _________to win second place. Ever since I've _________ racing.

I turned pro at 15, the youngest woman with a professional title in the United States, which is _________now. You have to be 17 to compete _________ according to new rules. Around the time I went pro,   BMX became an Olympic sport, and I decided to _________ it after high school. As soon as I graduated, I moved to California to train at the Olympic Training Center.

BMX is an extreme sport in which strength and balance are key, so I _________ at least, five days a week. I do tons of resistance and flexibility training. During the drills, I try to stand out _________ the other competitors at the end of the track. I keep __________ the excitement of overcoming big challenges and the __________ of crossing the finishing line first. I also do __________exercise with a sports psychologist, like practicing blocking out background __________ to make sure I'm __________the competition. If I make __________on the course, I have to move on. After all, every participant there is to __________me. I need to concentrate on the competition, so my chance of winning won't be __________by errors or distractions!

At the Olympics in Rio I was __________to win a silver medal, but I felt a strong urge to win the gold, which would __________me to do better in the next competition. I continue working to reach my __________ in the sport. Failures and disappointment never discourage me. They only motivate me to become a better self.

2 . When the summer holiday came, our kids joined a swim team. Every morning they______their swim skills. Then, every Thursday afternoon was the swim meet, where they could______a red ribbon(丝带). My oldest son was a really______swimmer. Yet, he felt most comfortable staying at home where he could avoid______.

Last Thursday when the time______for the swim meet, he once again said how much he______going. After a few minutes, we made a______that if he went to this meet and didn't like it, he could______the rest of the meets for the year and______continue swim team without competing.

We arrived at the pool early. As I returned to my seat, I noticed my______little boy sitting on his towel lost in thought. To my surprise, when it was time for his______,he jumped into the water and began______as hard as he could. Soon he came up to me______, showing me a red ribbon! I was also excited.______know that excited feeling you get when your child overcomes a barrier and has______. On the drive home he said to me, “Dad, I ______to go to all the swim meets.”

Then, I remembered a famous saying, “A ship in the harbor is______, but that is not what ships are built for.” We have to______the fear of failure and step out of our comfort zone. There are many______we could develop if we are______to go out and try.