Ostao jos jedan tjedan nastave, i ispiti. Za sada ide sve dobro, a vidit cemo kako ce biti na kraju. Sljedecu subotu je konferencisko natjecanje ovdje kod nas, a sutra se otvara nasa nova staza, tako da cu napokon trenirati na stazi, je da je skoro sve gotvo ali bolje ikad nego nikad. Jucer sam bio u Columbusu na nogometnoj utkamici, bilo je odlicno ali hladno. Prije utakmice na parkingu smo imali rostilj...

Joao Paulo (Brasil, Sao Paulo)



Nova staza





Od proslog tjedna, Hocking Hills




Svatko je nekada prosao kroz nesto sto ga je promijenilo.

Nikola

Nikako uhvatit vremena da lijepo napisem jedan post. Evo jos 2 tjedna nastave je ostalo, stislo je sa svih strana papira koliko hoces, ispita. Porslog vikenda sam imao moj prvi desetoboj, vrijeme je bilo da ne povjerujes, snijeg je padao, ne znam ni sam kako sam zavrsio taj desetoboj, ali sam zavrsio. Na 100m sam trcao 11,53, skok u dalj 6,41, bacanje kugle 11,33, skok u vis 179cm, 400m 51,49. Drugi dan poceli smo u 10h 110m prepone padao je snijeg bilo je oko -5 stupnjeva, otrcao sam samo za zavrsim trku bez ozljede 16,24. Bacanje diska je bilo katastrofalno bacio sam oko 24m....ni sam ne znam kako tako malo. Skok s motkom jedan skok na 3,85 i to je to, bacanje koplja 47,16 dok je 1500m bilo 4,49,90. Sve u svemu,bit ce bolje.

Pocelo je napokon lijepse vrijeme dnevna temperatura doseze preko 20 stupnjeva, suncano i toplo. Sinoc smo bili u sumu zapalili vatru i druzili se.

Tko zeli nauciti, naci ce nacina, tko ne zeli, naci ce izliku.

Nikola

Suncano a hladno, nekad je prehladno. Ne znam jeli proljece ili zima. Ali valjda ce proci brzo.

U skoli je krcato s zadacima, ali sve pomalo stizem.

U subotu sam imao takmicenje, otvorio sam sezonu na 110m prepone 15.09 sto je najbolje otvaranje sezone do sada, proslih godina ostvarao sam s 16,21. Tako da ocekujem dosta na preponame ove godine. Sljedeci vikend all-ohio, desetoboj.

Nikola

Evo uskrs je prosao, proveo sam ga s jednim prijateljom iz tima poveo me je kuci kod njega. On zivi jedno 2ipo sata sjeverno od Ria. Bilo je odlicno vidio sam novu kulturu, kao oni to nazivaju "country" hrana je bila dobra, bolja nego u kafiteriji. Sve u svemu dobro sam proveo vikend.

Evo nesto malo vise od mjesec dana nastave imam, i 65 dana do povratka kuci. Za sad sve ide po planu, ima se dosta za ucit...

Nikola

Bilo je odlicno za proljetne praznike, po cijeli dan na plazi, sunce, ocean, drustvo, odbojka. Bilo je stvarno odlicno najbolji tjedan otkako sam u americi.

Na polugodistu su mi ocjene iznenadujuce dobre, mislio sam da ce biti losije, ali sam se dobro iznenadio.

Ako imate hrabrosti biti originalni, tada imate jednu o najvjernijih osobina u svojem zivotu!

Nikola

Prosloga tjedna pocelo je NAIA prvenstvo u dvorani, tocnije u cetvrtak. Ja sam nastupio u sedmoboju gdje sam prvoga dana otvorio natjecanje s novim osobnim rekordom 7,31, nakon toga skok u dalj 6,42, i ponovo novi rekord u trecoj disciplini dana bacanje kugle 11,21. Zadnja disciplina prvoga dana skok u vis isto je zavrseno s novim osobnim rekordom od 180cm. Nakon prvog dana ukupno sam bio plasiran deveti. Drugi dan sam otvorio s prepona s jednom od najsporijih mojih utrka 8,59, skok s motkom odlicno je prosao s novim osobnim rekordom od 4,25 nakon toga je pocelo racunanje sto mi je potrebno za Hrvatski rekord trebao sam trcati 2,39 moj osobni j bio 2,47,25 krenuo sam s ciljem da oborim rekord odlicno sam prosao prvih 800m a onda sam pukao zavrsio s 2,47,19 sto je isto moj novi osobni rekord. Na kraju sam zavrsio kao cetvrto plasirani s 40tak bodova manje od treceplasiranog, s novim osobnim rekordom od 4962 boda.

Za mene su uranili proljenti praznici kako sma isao na natjecanje, a sljedeci tjedan su povesti na Myrtle Beach. Nadam se da su ocjene na polugodistu dobro.

Kad boli ne smije da boli.

Nikola

Evo danas sest mjeseci otkako sam dosao u Ohio. Jos tocno 100 dana do povratka kuci. 14 dana do proljetnih paznika, koji ce za mene poceti ranije, vec sljedeceg utorka jer idem na nacionalno prvenstvo. 74 dana do kraja semestra.

Kvalificirao sam se za nacionalno prvenstvo koje se odrzava 3-4.3 u Jackson City, Tennessee. A nakon tog natjecanja, idem za Myrtle beach pripreme za nastavak sezone.

Proslog tjedna sam imao nekoliko testova ali jos nema rezultata, tako da se nadam da ce ovoga tjedna biti rezultati poznati, isto tako moram da izostanem s nastave, sljedeci tjeda moram vidjeti ostale testove kako da ih rijesi prije ili poslije.

Čarolija je kad riskiraš sve što imaš za san koji niko drugi ne vidi osim tebe!

Nikola

Evo vec cetri tjedna nastave proslo, sljedeci tjedan tocnije u srijedu imam test iz statistike, vjezbam, nadam se da cu dobro napisati, proslog tjedna sam imao esej iz engleskog, kojeg sam dobio 90%.

Ovog vikenda sam imao jos jedno natjecanje gdje sam trcao 55m prepone i oborio skolski rekord 7,84s ali finale nisam trcao tako ni ostale discipline, osjetio sam nesto u zadnjoj lozi pa sam prekinuo takmicenje.

Jedna slika od proslog vikenda, balkanici u Americi, Dragan iz Crne gore i Milos iz Srbije.

Nesto manje od mjesec dana do proljetnih praznika. A do tada, staza i knjiga.

Evo esej koji sam predao.

I was really a playful child. I was always on the street playing from morning until sunset. I was always trying to be a big man I was always trying to be a leader for all of the kids in my city. I built houses out of pieces of cardboard, and I played soccer and basketball with my friends. When I was five, my dream was to be the world’s best soccer player. But, that never happened. Being as competitive as I am, I found that track and field was the best fit for me.


When I talked with my parents at age five about my planning to play some sports, I let them know that I would really like to play soccer. They were really happy because I was very interested in sports. They suggested to me that it would be better to start with some basic sport like gymnastic, swimming or track and field. My father said track and field would be good for me because I would train to run fast to be prepared for soccer. At this point, I was so mad about my father wanting me to do track! I just wanted to play soccer like my other friends. My family and I together decided that I would start with track and field. I was mad about the whole situation, but after I decided to do track, I was so excited that I started running around the house.


After maybe a week my father and I went to a track and field club close to our house. It was around a walk of ten minutes. This club was the best in Croatia. A lot of the greatest athletes come to this club. At the stadium, we found one of the best Croatian sprinters who competed in the Olympic games in 1970. My father talked with him and told him that I would like to start training with him. He asked me if I was ready, and I said, "Yes." So, we started training that same day. It was not like practice. It was more like an actual game, but I liked it a lot. After two months, the coach said that I was ready for my first competition. I was confused and surprised because before I started track practice with coach, I had told my parents that I would practice track for just a few months, and then I would switch to soccer. I went to my first track competition. I did not win, but I felt like a winner, this was the first time I was actually able to compete in a sport. I remember as if it were today. It was a Saturday in November. I ran the 60 meter dash. I finished in third place. Later in the month, I had one more competition. My parents asked me, “Do you want to transfer to soccer now?” I said, "No, now I really like track," and everything after that is history.


After I finished elementary school, track became serious for me. I started thinking about what I could do after I graduated from high school. If I stayed in Croatia, I needed to decide if I wanted to continue education or be a professional athlete. So, my first idea was to be a professional athlete, but my mother did not like that. Every day she talked with me that I needed to continue my education because I couldn’t be in sports for my whole life because I could get injured. She gave me a lot to think about my situation.


When I began thinking about an education along with my track career I started to research Colleges in the United States. I have some my friends who got athletic scholarships in the United States. My dream was to go to the United States. I talked with my friend, and he explained to me everything about college in the United States. I wanted to go even more. I decided to find a way to go. I started sending my resume to all universities and colleges in the United States. After waiting one year, I heard from a coach from Rio Grande. They could give me a scholarship. I was so excited about that. I talked with my parents and told them that I got a scholarship. They were scared because I needed to move to another continent, country, and city. For them it was unusual to go somewhere else. They saw that I was serious about coming to the United States because I did everything alone. No one helped me to find contacts for coaches and everything else. I did all my paperwork myself. My mother and father said that will be a good experience for me.


The little things in life can show the way ahead. If I never started with track, maybe I would never get an opportunity for studying in the United States. So, I think that my parents had a big influence on me and showed me the right way. I am very thankful for that.

Nikola

U petak sam zapoceo prvi sedmoboj. Startao sam odlicno s 60m osobni rekord 7,33, nakon 60m usljedio je skok u dalj gdje sam isto skocio osobni rekord 6,57m. Nakon dalja sljedilo je bacanje kugle gdje sam podbacio kao nikada izgubio 300+ bodova, prebacio sam tek 8m. bio sam toliko van sebe poslije toga da skok u vis nisam mogao odradit kako treba, ali sam skocio najbolji rezultat u dvorani 1,78cm. Prvi dan je zavrsio, sutra dan sam se probudio s velikom motivacijom da nadoknadim zaostatak od kugle, istrcao sam novi osobni rekord na prepone 8,49 moglo je biti bolje ali ostavimo to za sljedeci put. Nakon prepona motku sam otvorio s 4,00m i zadnja disciplina sedmoboja 1000m rekao sam idem sve ili nista, puknem li puknem, bolje krenit odmah jako pa ako izdrzim izdrzat cu, a ne kreniti lagano pa poslije zavrsiti i rec da sam imao snage. Otrcao sam osobni rekord 2,47,25 sto je vise od 13s od prijesnjeg osobnog rezultata. ukupno sam skupio 4761 bodova sto je novi rekord skole. i kvalificirao sam se za nacionalno prvenstvo koje se odrzava pocetkom treceg mjeseca u Tennesi. Trenuno sam petoplasiran u Americi. Nadam se da cu se dobro sprmiti i napraviti nove rekorde, napad na Hrvatski rekord koji iznosi 5049 bodova.

Najjaci ste kada se borite sami sa sobom. Trening je ona najjaca strana ovog sporta. Trka je samo dokaz koliko ste bili jaki onda kada je bilo najteze !

Nikola

Iza mene je i drugi tjedan nastave. Sve vise i vise zadataka imam. Rijesavam sve na vrijeme. Treniramo u kosarkaskoj dvorani na parketu,

U petak je pocela snijezna oluja tako da su vec odgodili u petak nastavu, napadalo je oko 1m snijega. A u subotu su poceli cistiti puteve. Najavljeno je jos sljedeci tjedan, tako da je lako moguce da ce biti koji dan odgodena skola. Mi smo trebali ici u West Virginiu na natjecanje u subotu i to je odgodeno, jer ceste nisu prohodne.

Snijeg na kampusu


Ali, ja sam sanjalica. Vjerujem u nestvarno. Vjerujem u ono "ali" svaki put kada mi kazu da se ne zavaravam. Jer nemoguce postaje moguce, ako dovoljno zelis.
Djordje Balasevic


Nikola