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Personal Statement
As a motivated person who has always strived for the best, learning and applying responsibility and work ethic have been crucial to my growth as an athlete, but also as a person. Muhammad Ali once famously said, “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.” Indeed, his words resonate with me as they convey exactly what makes me push a little harder each day. Between balancing school, athletics and the role of the oldest brother of three in my family, I would find myself struggling if I lacked the discipline and ethics that sport has taught me.
Helping others is something I am passionate about because I realize that sometimes human support is what makes the real difference in the lives of people. It is definitely easier to be selfish and to take care only of oneself, but the satisfaction of achieving something by offering help is really important to me. Although I practice an individual sport like hammer throw, being part of a team is crucial for my personality and I can find many ways to help the rest of the athletes including my youngest brother who is following in my footsteps.
I can safely say that I have tried many sports. From swimming to clay shooting, I ended up in the challenging world of track and field, specifically in the discipline of hammer throw. Sport has always been my passion: either participating in an event or just watching a live game, this is something that makes me happy, whatever the result. Sport for me is not limited to a simple game where someone wins or loses. Indeed, it gives nations the ability to unite by providing a global language which everyone can understand regardless of ethnicity, religion, or beliefs.
My involvement in sport activities began at the age of 4 since my parents were firm believers in the benefits it offers, both physically and psychologically. Growing up, all I ever wanted to be was a professional hammer thrower. My dream is to make it into the Olympic Games some day or even to World Championships since it is another big event for the track and field world. This dream is going to repay my parents for all they have done for me. Throughout my teenage years I was told to find something I love and to stick with it -- that is when I knew that hammer throw could be my ticket out of Cyprus. Even though I may not be at the top of my discipline at this moment, I know the capacity I have to improve, and I know that I can do this in the United States with appropriate coaching.
As a kid, not many friends of mine could see the full picture of practicing a sport and “wasting” one’s time at the track. After all, track and field, like most sports (with the exception of soccer) is not built-in into Cypriot culture, unlike in the US where sport in general is like a religion for most.
Unfortunately, the education system in my country overall is more grade-focused rather than student-centered. It is obvious that if one wants to thrive academically, it can happen in Cyprus, but becoming a well-balanced student-athlete is much more difficult. Indeed, the lack of recognition in sport has led many talented young athletes to never reach their full potential. Luckily, with the help of my coach in the past three years I have managed to successfully graduate from high school and enroll in a university program, while keeping up with training and actively participating in local and international competitions.
I am looking forward to various opportunities to continue both my studies and training in a US college or university, so that I can achieve my dreams of a sports career and excellent education.
