subject: The Day the Fat Kid Won [print this page] The Day the Fat Kid Won
"Double Decker" that's what they called me in high school. Like many fat kids, PE was my worst nightmare. The rope? Couldn't climb it. Dodge ball? Always picked last and always the number one target. While I dreaded the entire PE experience and the taunts from my classmates, I wasn't overly upset by my fatness. I was a happy kid. I had friends. And my pants fit just fine thank-you-very-much (okay, they were a few sizes bigger than everyone else's but they fit). One day, the coaches decided to hold Obstacle Course Day in PE. Wonderful. The other kids would have a field day as I floundered on the monkey bars, sweated through the sit-ups, and failed to lift myself through the push-ups. As I chugged around the track, I wasn't last, but then again I wasn't anywhere close to first. I managed to survive those first obstacles relatively unscathed. However, the coaches had another idea: carry three car tires across the football field. While this may seem easy, think about it for a moment. Real car tires. They're fat and heavy (just like me) and awkward as hell for the average teen to carry. As usual, I was one of the last kids of the group to go. Resigned to my fate, I watched as my athletic peers struggled with the tires. While most of the kids could easily handle two tires, that third one was a real beast. I watched as kids tried to squeeze one tire under one arm and two tires under the other. Result? Dropped tire. The kids made slow progress across the field as the tires slipped and dropped. Some of the kids left the third tire where it landed, ran across the field lugging just two only to have to double back for the third tire. This strategy added a good 45 seconds to the finish time. If the strong, athletic kids failed so miserably, I didn't have a chance. What a scene I would make juggling those tires like giant donuts and stumbling across the field in slow motion. As the coach rolled three tires my way, I realized that there was a different way. I used my head literally. Wearing one tire like a necklace, I grabbed the other two in my hands and ran across the field in no time, besting all who went before me and inspiring all who followed. (Yes, they copied my technique!) Until that one day, I had never experienced the admiration of my peers. Even the coaches looked up at me. It wasn't muscle or speed that won; it was cleverness. It wasn't a trick or a gimmick; it was simply me using my head. No, it was more than that. It also involved resourcefulness and an attitude of never giving up. That three tire challenge brought my overall time up and I proudly took second place on Obstacle Course Day. Everybody there looked at the fat kid a little differently that day and so did I. This single victory forever changed what overweight and PE meant to me. Though no longer a fat kid, I still feel accomplished and continue to use my head, resourcefulness, and never-give-up attitude in everything that I do. I've built a successful water damage remediation company and am surrounded by family and friends that love the real me. The fat kid won!
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