Non-Stop || Lin-Manuel Miranda

Prologue

Fame.

A simple word that holds different meanings to many people across the world. To some this is what they strive for; this is exactly what they want in life. To others it is simply something that seems silly or unattainable. There are people who were born for fame; the charismatic and outspoken people. There are people who don't even want to begin to see the spotlight.

Then there are people just like me, neither wanting it nor striving for it. See I have been a gymnast my entire life. But just recently I have been thrust into the spotlight. They call it overnight success and that is exactly what had happened in the eyes of the public.

I had started going to the local gym with my mom in the 'Mommy and Me' gymnastics class. My mom loved going in with me because it wore out my insane energy. 'Mommy and Me' turned into 'Tiny Tots' that then turned into the Junior Olympic levels. I started at Level 1 and worked my way up through the system to Level 10. By the time I was 10 years old I was training for the Elite level of gymnastics and I haven't slowed down since. By the time I was 11 years old I tested into the National Junior Elite level and did well enough as a first year elite to advance to International Junior Elite where I got to represent the United States all across the world.

By the time I reached 12 years old I was being homeschooled and I was consistently in the gym training 35 hours per week. I was consistent in my training and stayed International Junior Elite through my 13th, 14th and 15th years. It's crazy because during this time my love and desire for this sport only intensified. I absolutely adored flipping and twisting through the air. There was nothing like the feeling of competing for the United States of America, nothing like it at all.

I then turned 16 early in 2010; this was my first year that I was eligible for International Senior Elite. This burning and desire to keep competing for the United States exploded within me that year. My goal was simple: to make the team and to be good enough for the next two years so that I could make the 2012 gymnastic Olympic team. In 2010 I worked harder than I have ever before in my life and made the International Senior Elite team. I was placing first in the All-Around events at nearly every single competition that I was sent to. I was the golden girl to the national team coaches and coordinators. 2011 rolled around and I only seemed to gain more confidence in my gymnastics as I swept every competition I went to, it seemed like nothing could slow me down. I had my sight set on London and I didn't see anything that could possibly stop me.

The Olympic year rang in and I every single ounce of strength that I could give was going into my gymnastics. I was working on upgrades and trying my best to perfect those skills that I was planning on using throughout the year. I was locked in and loaded on this season, nothing was going to stop me. Throughout the beginning of the year I had carried on what I was doing for the past two years, I was absolutely dominating everything. Classics rolled around in June and on continued what I had set my sights on. I won the All-Around and placed the highest in both bars and beam, my best and favorite events.

And then the worst day of my life came. I was competing in the National Championships later in the month and everything started out wonderfully. The first day of competition ended and I was leading. My confidence was at an all time high and absolutely nothing was going to stop me now. Boy was I wrong.

The second day of competition was the day that my career in gymnastics changed. I was vaulting and I over rotated and landed on my leg in the worst way that I possibly could. I immediately fell over with a searing pain shooting from my left leg. My worst nightmare had come to fruition; I had torn my ACL and would be out of competition for at least the next six months.