I stand five feet away from my fear and salute to the judges with a smile on my face. I jump and catch the wooden bar while chalk flies through the air. My body works on muscle memory until I stop—for 30 seconds.
My mind rushes through horrible outcomes until I let go of those thoughts. My body finally moves: hips lifting, feet touching the bar, fingers loosening their grip, knees extending and balancing on the skinny bar. I look at the other bar in front of me and jump. My eyes moved only when I felt the wood on my palms. I did it.
