PSLE Continuous Writing Practice

Theme: Overcoming the Impossible

Prompt pictures: A trophy/a stage/a boy with an injured leg (Use at least one of the three pictures)

Since a young age, Ron aspired to become a world-famous skater. He even tried out the basic moves. But all that was smashed when Ron suffered a terrible accident. He fractured his spine and had to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Since the accident, Ron lost motivation for everything. He curled up on his wheelchair, staring blankly into space. The world lay before him, draped in a sombre cloak of desolation, muting the vibrant hues of life and replacing them with dispiriting monotony. Day by day, he became increasingly despondent about the bleak future ahead of him. One random afternoon, when Ron was scrolling through his tablet mindlessly, he came across a video about an interview with a successful wheelchair-bound basketball player. The player said, “The wheelchair did not restrict my ability. It pushed me forward on the other hand.” Every single word pierced deep into the recesses of Ron’s heart and a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes.

When Ron hit the ice again, his stomach lurched and he paused at the entrance. But then Ron bit down on his lip and gingerly wheeled into the skating rink. He attempted a glide across the ice and made a suave turn but his wheelchair nearly toppled over. Ron scrambled to straighten himself. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead for all the freezing temperature from the ice below. But his eyes were determined as he had made up his mind to return to the rink as a wheelchair skater.

With the help of a coach, Ron started to relearn all the basic moves in a different way, but he managed to refound his enthusiasm for skating. Every day, Ron committed at least 4 hours at the skating rink in hope of making up for the time he had wasted sulking. All his hard work and sweat paid off. Ron gradually grasped all the fundamentals for a wheelchair skater and later he even mastered more advanced moves such as the Axel jump. Finally, Ron gained enough confidence to make a comeback and decided to sign up for a wheelchair figure-skating competition.

On the competition day, Ron kept on rolling about in the waiting area. The air was filled with tension. He smoothed his hair and straightened his shirt. His throat felt parched and his hands were clammy. When his name was called, Ron steered his wheelchair to the centre of the stage. The spotlights overhead were dazzling but his heart suddenly found peace, more peaceful than ever. Ron began his performance as the music phased in. A glide, a swizzle, a somersault and a backward 180 turn, he was right on the beat. Suddenly, his wheelchair skidded with a screech. Ron clenched his hand on the brake, his heart beating heavily. “Come on! Please stop!” Fortunately, the wheelchair halted just in time for the final somersault. Ron relaxed his jaws and willed his wheelchair to turn and flip. Everything in his eyes turned upside down. The glittering frost chipped by the wheel spun under the radiant lights of the rink. The wheelchair drew a perfect arc in the air and landed with precision on the last beat of the music. Having got his breath back from panting, Ron straightened his back and bowed to the audience. Thunderous applause sounded throughout the stadium. Gripping the sweat-soaked leather armrests, Ron smiled.

A few minutes later, the competition result was announced. The judges’ decisions were unanimous: Ron was the champion. His eyes went blurry and tears cascaded down his cheeks. A surge of relief, gratitude, and happiness overwhelmed Ron. During the post-award interview, Ron proudly lifted the trophy and declared, “I used to believe certain things were beyond reach, but today I stand here as a testament that the impossible is often just illusions waiting to be shattered."