8. Explanation of Part II, Paragraph 4-7

Explanation:

 

Maria Sharapova, when recalling her earlier days in the academy, stated that she had faced discrimination from her fellow tennis pupils, who were mostly her seniors. Sometimes young girls get very insecure when they see someone younger than them, for someone from a different country, perform better than them. They project that insecurity in different ways by harassing or bullying them. Most young immigrant kids are subjected to bullying in the US. Similarly, Maria being a young child, was allowed to sleep by 8 pm so that it was feasible for her to wake up in the morning and practise. But the senior team pupils would wake her up at 11 pm and order her to tidy up the room. But in spite of all this, Sharapova managed to get trained in the game she was passionate about.

 

 

Sharapova took inspiration from the hardships that she faced. Although it is important to react to a certain thing, some things have to be ignored, and our success must speak for itself. She used this philosophy in life and was silent when the bullying happened. She kept improving her skills and worked hard to prove herself. She became quietly determined and mentally tough. She knew very well what she wanted from life. She was clear about her dreams and never even thought to quit on them. The petty issues that she was facing were not worth quitting on her passion. Since she came from a very humble background, she was hungry for success as this was her only way out. She would have put up with all the insults in the world to reach her dream, as the insults are temporary, but passion is permanent. This attitude is what led her to bag the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in \(2004\) and put her on the World's top player list.

 

 

Her story of hailing from a humble background in Siberia to becoming the number 1 player in tennis has proved to be an inspiration to many youngsters. She serves as a role model to a lot of young girls who want to achieve their dreams, who are facing struggles. But contrary  to the popular norm of celebrities gaining sympathy with their sad stories in the media, Sharapova comes out as a very straightforward and practical person. She focuses on the game, works hard to win and considers that her sacrifices were worth it. Her mantra for success is, “I am very, very competitive. I work hard at what I do. It’s my job.”

 

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