If I had a fellow competitor of a younger age tell me that they aspired to be a professional athlete in the same vein as myself my words to them would be swift and to the point; "Don't." It's not worth it, I'd tell them. To have the eyes of the world upon you at all times? To be viewed as nothing more than a spectactle to be mocked or a commodity to be traded or dropped at the whim of a controlling, authoritarian figure is no life. Become something cool, like an IT worker or a nurse or some kind of dog groomer. A professional athlete is no life to aspire to. And should your grades be an issue then don't worry, for I AM a professional athlete. I receive only the finest of strength and conditioning. I am one of the strongest people you know. And if your grades don't improve I will impose upon you a minimum of 500 paddlings until such time as your grades rival that of the top member of your class.
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