Emma waited beside Rachel while the judges calculated the final score.
She kept looking toward the floor.
Did I stick the second landing?
Rachel laughed.
You just finished the best routine of your life and thats what youre worried about?
Emma smiled.
Yes.
Then the scoreboard changed.
Emma stared at the number.
It was her highest score ever.
Rachel hugged her.
You did it.
Emma looked toward the audience.
Children were standing near the front row.
One little girl was staring at her with wide eyes.
Emma smiled at her.
The girl smiled back.
Later, reporters asked Emma how she had overcome her disability.
Emma thought about the question.
Then she answered carefully.
I didnt spend my life trying to become a gymnast without arms.
I spent my life becoming a gymnast.
That was the difference.
The video of her routine spread across social media.
Millions of people watched the tumbling passes.
The balance.
The final landing.
But Emma remembered something else.
The silence before she started.
Because fifteen seconds later, the same people who had been wondering whether she belonged on the floor were standing and applauding.
And Emma already knew what she wanted to do next.
Train for the next competition.
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