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Tyler Roberge
Wayne Reed
ENC 1101
11/28/14

Breaking Free
Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Tyler. Tyler was the
youngest of two in his family, the oldest being his brother Ryan. For the majority of
his life, Tyler was oddly shy and timid when it came to social interactions. At school,
the other children would assume that he was just stuck-up or too cool for school.
Deep down, Tyler knew the reason he was this way, he was self-conscious about his
looks and lack of accomplishments. But dont let this fool you, when he gets to know
people well, he is a whole new person; outgoing, spontaneous, and a bundle of
excitement. It was just so unfortunate that it took him forever to get to know others
and feel comfortable opening up to them.
Tyler was constantly invited to stay the night at his friends houses, but for
some reason he could never manage to stay a whole night. The poor guy got
homesick very often, even if it was at the neighbors house right next door. A wave of
panic would wash over him, like a wave of enchanting mist, and suddenly he would
do anything it took to get home. Walking usually seemed to be the easiest method
for him, but if the house were quite a ways out, he would call and get picked up by
his parents.

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One time Tyler was staying at his friends house, he fell asleep perfectly fine,
but awoke late in the night. That mist of panic crawled over his body and then poof,
he was gone with the blink of an eye. It wasnt until morning came, that he
remembered that he didnt let anyone at his friends house know that he left.
Luckily, when Tylers mother called over, they werent awake yet. She explained
what happened and apologized on behalf of her son.
Tyler was the type of boy who was never alone, frankly because he never
went anywhere by himself. The only time you would ever find him alone, was if he
was grumpy, or upset with a family member. Then, and only then, would you find
him upstairs in his room, just lounging on his bed.
One day Tyler decided he wanted to get a job, so he made up a resume, and
handed it out to a local Boston Pizza. HE GOT THE JOB! Tyler was hired as a host, so
he had multiple social interactions everyday. Slowly but surely, Tyler began to
unravel bit-by-bit, becoming more interactive with the customers.
It was only a year later that he was approached at Hollister because they
wanted him to work there. This was a blessing in disguise; little did he know that
this job was going to change his life around. Tyler quit his job, and started working
at Hollister. Almost immediately, his confidence burst through his insecurity barrier.
As Tyler sat at home, rehearsing the greetings and phrases he was told to remember
for work, they engraved into his mind. They would just roll off his tongue, and he
could remember the last time he felt it was so easy to speak to strangers. He could
now hold conversations with customers, and he even made friends just from
working as a greeter at the front of the store.

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As a spillover effect, Tyler was now comfortable with sleepovers and being
alone. He began enjoying time to himself because it gave him time to think and
reflect about whatever he wanted. Some people might even go so far as to say that
he might not be where he is today without his part experiences. Present day, Tyler is
enrolled and attending his number one pick of universities and is on the path to
great success and a happily ever after.

TRAVEL
Fortunate is the word that comes to mind when I think of the travel
aspect of my life. The amount I travel and the destinations I travel to, have been very
advantageous to my sports career and outlook on life. From international diving
competitions and training camps, to the annual family/friend vacations over spring
break.
Travelling internationally with the Canadian National team has been the
biggest blessing. Getting to experience how other countries train, and compose
themselves in competition settings has been a major aspect in my athletic success. A
year ago my home team decided to take a training camp to China. The amount of
information I learned on that trip was phenomenal. This only registered in my brain
as motivation; both to train harder and eventually beat them.
Aside from my athletic travel, my favorite part of travelling is going to the
beach. Basking in the sun, lying midway between the beach and the ocean tide is the
perfect place to relax. It makes me feel down-to-earth and connected to everything
all at once; I get to feel the current in the water and the warmth of the sand on my

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back. I have been lucky enough to experience Jamaica, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Greece and Hawaii. The favorite sunny destination would have to be my
most recent trip to Greece. Something about the Mediterranean Sun and crystal blue
water captivated me.
Travelling to other countries around the globe has donated many
opportunities to my bank of experience. Ive seen many different living situations
across the globe, from shacks, to street corners, Ive practically seen about
everything. As an example, when I travelled to China I saw horrid living situations.
Just walking in the streets on our way to the mall, we passed multiple cardboard
homes with little children sitting with their mothers or fathers. This was when I
really noticed and started to appreciate where I come from.
Seeing how and where other people live and how appreciative they are with
it all, really makes me value what I have in my life. Never take things for granted
because we are so lucky to live somewhere with great opportunities. I realized, no
matter how bad my day could ever be, I got to come home to a nice house and
readily available amenities.
I think being well travelled has made him into a better person. Getting to
experience so much in this world has really shaped me into who I am today. Travel
has given me the symptoms of being motivated, dedicated, thankful, down-to-earth,
and appreciative.

SPORTS

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Soccer, softball, basketball, gymnastics, diving, dance, etc.; at a young age
Tyler told me that he wanted to devote himself to sports. From the moment he
expressed this, I knew he was destined for success, however long it will take. My
husband and I thought soccer would a good starting sport for him. He played on and
off for about 5 years on a community team, until he didnt enjoy it any longer. Later
on we placed him on to a club softball team that was coached by a parent in the
neighborhood. He wasnt bad but it just wasnt his forte. He told us that he wanted to
try his schools basketball team. His basketball skills werent as good as his soccer
skills were, but his team did quite well. One day he told his father and I that he didnt
get the thrill he wanted from these sports; he wanted to be in a sport with an
adrenaline rush that would feed his excitement for the sport. Later on we all decided
to switch him into gymnastics, where he first discovered that adrenaline rush he
was looking for.
Tyler took a go at gymnastics for around 4 years, he seemed to love it but his
coach was extremely tough on him. Coming straight from China, his coaching style
came off a little aggressive. Tyler would have to sit with his back to a wall, as his
coach pushed his legs back in a straddle position to work on him middle splits. Being
in tears after most practices because of how hard he was on the kids would be tough
for any parents to see. This is when we made a unanimous decision that Tyler
needed to do a sport that was just as fun as gymnastics but different so he didnt
have to be with the same coach.
The next year Tyler was on a field trip to a diving facility, he did a few flips off
the boards and got approached by a diving coach. I dont know what he said to

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Tyler, but the next thing I knew, all he wanted to do was join diving. Diving had to be
the easiest transition from gymnastics, seeing as Tyler already knew how to flip and
twist. Although he didnt tell Tyler before he joined (in the hopes of trying not to
force me into it), my husband, Tylers father, dove when he was younger.
He has never really done anything else with his life except play sports. As a
result I have noticed that he has become coordinated, with faster reaction times, and
he seems to have a great sense of aerial awareness. These kinds of things arent
really helpful in day-to-day activities but it has definitely helped him with club
sports and with diving. Tyler is also socially different than other non-athletes. The
social aspect of his life differs from others almost completely; when most people go
out and party, Tyler prefers to rest. His sleep schedule has morphed into a
mandatory 8 hours of sleep a night. If he doesnt get those 8 hours, he wakes up
exhausted and cranky, then his training doesnt end up going well, and he comes
home in a bad mood. His eating habits have changed for the better; he avoids greasy
foods, soda, chips, and leans towards fruit, veggies, lean proteins, whole grains, and
water.
To say the least, sports might just be the best thing that has happened to him
in terms of outside experiences, and I couldnt be happier for my son.

TYLER ROBERGE
Trusting Young Loving Energetic Rational
Reliable Open-minded Brave Efficient Relaxed Grateful Empathetic

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