A Personal Narrative About Overcoming Stuttering

I've struggled with speech ever since I was in elementary. I was the kid who wouldn't go to electives sometimes, and instead spent my time in speech therapy. I was insecure and reserved, avoiding participation in class in fear of stuttering. I only felt comfortable in the presence of close friends and family, as I felt vulnerable in the judgement of others. Even after speech therapy, my stammers continued to trip my speech, further intensifying my self-doubt. Being my own obstacle, I convinced myself I was helpless; subconsciously limiting myself to avoid any form of humiliation.

Towards the end of middle school, my mom spontaneously proposed we run a halfmarathon in San Antonio. I ran here and there, but never to that degree, which made that race seem impossible. I knew if I said yes there was no going back, so I pondered it for a while, and ultimately took on the challenge. I didn't know what to expect, which frightened me, but having my mom and brother by my side, I knew I would make it through.

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This was my chance to do something beyond myself, and finally be bold in some way.

Once the day came, we committed to 13.1 dreadful miles, where each mile tested my tenacity. As long as I kept running forward, I was sure to make it. Hills, winds and rain made the process more difficult, but they were obstacles we needed to face to get to the finish line. When we finally reached the end, my mental and physical exhaustion was overcome by accomplishment. A medal was placed across my neck, and even if it was for participation, I still saw someone new in its reflection.

Every year after that race, we ran a Half Marathon, and each medal that I hung on my wall reminded me of my capability. If I could run a Half-Marathon I could speak in class, present a powerpoint and even talk to more people. Sure I stuttered, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from running forward. I joined a variety of clubs freshman year, one being FBLA. My team prepared for our state competition, and with intense practice, I memorized every word, and readit off my mind without a single stutter. With our advancement to nationals, I started high school off the right foot, and just needed to keep up the pace.

Sophomore year came around, and with my new half-marathon medal on my wall, I wanted to pick up the speed. I attended a government summer program in San Diego hosted by NHI, which was designed to enter blindly. This feeling reminded me of before I ran my first half marathon. I had no way to prepare myself to not stutter like freshman year, and I was also going to spend a week with strangers. I was challenged mentally and socially, which was a different feel than running, but I tried to keep the same mindset. When we were given the option to run for a seat in the senate, I quickly eliminated the possibility, but remembering I came here with intention, I changed my mind. It was my turn to go up, and my nerves choked me as I tried to speak. Looking around at the sea of intelligent people triggered the thought they were judging.

They spoke so fluently, while I stumbled and stuttered. I was certain of utter failure, until I heard my name called the next day. They handed me a ribbon that had "senator" printed on it, and I smiled uncontrollably. With each medal I hung on my wall, I realized I had achieved something far greater courage. I was done running away in fear, and started to run forward with determination. My stutter was the obstacle in my race, and as long as I accepted its challenge, I would surely make it to the finish line.

References

• Wikipedia: Stuttering
• PubMed: Stuttering - An Update on the Etiology and Treatments
• Mayo Clinic: Stuttering - Symptoms and Causes