I became bald (秃头的) at two due to a condition. At school I was bullied (欺凌) for it. Sports became my escape, and I was fortunate to have born athletic ability. I would race home every day and shoot basketball for hours. I put all my time and energy into basketball to become the best player I could be.
I had a great high-school career, breaking countless school records, and received a scholarship to play in college. It was a dream come true. However, I still rarely talked about my condition. I continued to wear my wig (假发) all the time, no matter the weather or what I was doing.
In my senior year of college, I wanted to run the marathon. During that 26. 2-mile run, I felt strong, truly like Superwoman. I will never forget the feeling of crossing the finish line, and the way everyone celebrated me. I began running marathons all over the country. I loved the feeling I got from running and training. I looked forward to my runs in the morning when the rest of the world was still sleeping. This was my chance to reflect, dream big, and enjoy the sound of my feet on the pavement. The more I ran, the stronger and more confident I felt. I slowly started to talk about my condition to close friends.
Then one day, on a hot training run, I threw off my wig while tears welled up in my eyes. For the first time, I felt strong, beautiful, and brave. Getting home that day, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw someone kind, caring and full of joy. Two weeks later, I ran my first marathon wigless and was celebrated and loved during that entire race weekend. I was surrounded by such positivity and support that I didn' t even think of my wigless head. Tears welled in my eyes as I crossed that finish line in San Diego.
