Mark Twain once said, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” For me, getting started began last August on one of those nice end-of-summer days when schoolwork felt new and fresh. That was the beginning of my Science Olympiad season. The conclusion of it, a state competition, happens this month and ends at an awards ceremony in a room full of eager and bright students hoping their name is called over others.

I am competing in six events, something that had felt easy back at the start of the year. The reality has been different. Learning six very different areas of knowledge have each demanded hours of practice and preparation. There have been moments when I wondered why I was doing this, when I stared blankly at a question or a pile of random materials questioning my decisions.

But there has also been a strange sense of excitement like the thrill of breaking a code for the first time, the satisfaction of seeing a carefully constructed tower hold weight as intended, and the satisfaction found in understanding something that had, even just weeks before, been completely out of my league.

I’ve approached each event like a puzzle, a mystery waiting to be solved. And I, armed with a notebook and a stubborn refusal to give up, have been determined to crack them. Science Olympiad hasn’t just been about building things or memorizing facts. It has been about pushing myself and learning to persevere even when dealing with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It has been about learning to work hard and challenge myself. It has been about learning to manage my time, to collaborate with my partners, and to adapt when things change. It has been about learning that hard work can and will lead to rewards.

Countless hours have been spent troubleshooting and refining my projects and ideas. There have definitely been moments of frustration and even doubt, as well as times when I wanted to declare myself defeated and give up entirely.

But I haven’t. I have kept going, even when everything seems impossible. I have been determined not to let a hard topic or a troublesome design get the best of me.

And in the end, it has been worth it. Not because I have won every event, but because I have learned something valuable about myself. I have learned that I am capable of more than I thought I was, that I can push through challenges, and that even when I feel like I’m running on empty, I can still find the strength to keep going and step outside of my comfort zone.

Science Olympiad isn’t just a competition. It’s a lesson in perseverance and a reminder that hard work matters. It’s about discovering the thrill in refusing to quit, the pride of pushing past limits you once thought were unbreakable, and the quiet joy of knowing you gave it everything you had. Win or lose, you cross the finish line stronger, braver, and ready for whatever challenge comes next.

Ruth Wiseman is a Woodland Park native and a dual-enrolled high school student attending Pikes Peak State College