A Part of Who I Am

How did I get into playing badminton? It all started when I was a little kid. My family decided to go on a family outing, and a part of it is going to a gym to play badminton. When we arrived at the gym, my family began playing together. At that moment, it caught my interest to play with them. So, out of curiosity, I decided to approach my parents and ask them to teach me how to play badminton. When I hit the shuttlecock for the very first time in my life, it became one of my core memories. Then, I thought to myself, "I like this sport; maybe I should practice at home." As time passed, I kept practicing in playing badminton. In every practice, my skills developed and advanced more than in my previous practices.

When I was in 4th grade, the school held an event called "Intramurals," a competition of different sports. It had come to my attention to join the badminton competition. When I joined, I was nervous because I was about to showcase my skills in badminton. However, I did not expect what had happened after the competition. I won first place and was awarded with "Most Valuable Player" or "MVP." I was overjoyed at that moment because my hard work had paid off.

It made me decide to be part of the badminton varsity to compete with other schools for Pasig Catholic College. So, I began taking badminton training in 6th grade. After my training, I had experienced competing with other schools. Unfortunately, we were defeated by other schools because their skills were more advanced than ours. But that was okay, because at least we had tried our best, and that did not crush my hobby of playing badminton.

However, when I entered junior high school, I had to give up my training in badminton to focus more on my academics. This is because I knew the fact that junior high school will be a lot busier than grade school. So, I decided to place my hobby of playing badminton behind and focus more on my studies. However, that was not the end of it. I still play badminton up to this day, and I still continue to love my hobby.

Even at the current time, I still wonder to myself, "What if I did not play badminton when I was a little kid?" That will, indeed, change everything about who I am. To me, badminton is not just a sport; it is a part of me. I am incomplete without badminton, my favorite hobby. Since badminton is a part of me and I love it, I also love myself because this is who I am, and I am proud of my achievements, skills, and myself. But above all, I thank God for giving me this special gift. Without Him, I am nothing of who I am today. Because my hobby is His gift to me, I will never stop loving it, which is playing badminton.