When I was 12 years old I couldn't do one pull-up. At the time, I was a chubby 5th grader who hadn't hit puberty yet. I hadn't done much working out in my life, but then again not many 12 year olds have. But most 12 year olds didn't have my father. In junior high we had this thing called the Presidential Fitness Exam, where we had to complete a bunch of physical tests (push ups, pull ups, mile) and then graded against other kids our age. If we surpassed the standards, we got our name put up on a board in front of the whole school. Well, 5th grade me didn't pass that test and my father was not happy with the news. When he heard, he bought me a pull-up bar and put it in the doorway on my room. He told me that every time I walk through that door I had to do one pull-up. Long story short, I listened to him and graduated junior high with the pull-up record (34), as well as making Presidential Fitness every other year besides 5th grade. I truly learned a lot from this experience. I had heard a lot about believing in yourself and whatnot, but I didn't think anything of it until I had to do it for myself. This was truly the first time I had put my heart into something and it taught me a lesson for years to follow. Since then, I have put my heart into many other aspects of my life, achieving a great deal along the way. As I approach my senior year I have no doubt in my mind that there will be a ton of challenges coming my way. But in my mind, no challenge will ever be as big as my first pull-up.