It was the moment my wrestling team and I had been waiting for: we had to defeat our rivals KMS. We were ready. All the practices, all the blood, all the sweat and tears were on the line for the trip to the state tournament. It was a no holds-barred battle, and we were determined to come out on top. As the dual progressed my team wrestled with purpose, passion and power.
             Finally, it was my turn to step out on that mat and put to work all my physical and mental preparation. The fans were roaring with excitement, the gym was full of supporters, my mind was racing and my heart was pounding. A moment of self-doubt overtook me: one mistake and all my dedication and drive would not pay off and I would let my team and school down. As the match began my mind was blank for the entirety of the first period and I relied on my body to do what it was trained to do. By the time the second period began I was collected and therefore, my mind and body synchronized to make me perform at an extraordinary level. I was unstoppable! My hands found each other as my opponent hit his back, SLAP, the referee hit the mat to signal that I had pinned my opponent and won the match. I rose from my knees and thrust my hand victoriously into the air. A sense of relief swept through me with the realization that my motivation and competitive drive had paid off.
             Finding out that my hard work was a success was not the only realization that occurred due to that pivotal wrestling match. I also came to discover that I had developed a mind-body connection. When my wrestling match began all the thoughts going through my mind vanished. The surge of adrenaline I was experiencing made me unable to think. Thankfully, because of my mind-body connection, my body took over, knew what needed to be done, and completed the task at hand. When both my mind and body worked together I performed at an exceptional level.
             The memorable wrestling match against KMS w...