What makes a champion? It's not the trophy. It's not talent. Not the salary, the most points, the best time or the most records. It's not even about being the best of the best. All of these things are just the perks of what makes a true champion. You see, the real winners in life are those who have the courage to see the impossible. They are those who overcome and persevere in the face of all adversities. They learn from their mistakes and no matter what happens, they never give up on their dreams. A true champion has a VISION... Vision, by the way, is something I have faced throughout my life. My identical twin sister, Aly, and I were born two and a half months premature. Barely tipping the scales at two pounds each, we were placed in incubators, where overexposure to oxygen left me visually impaired. (Aly was in a different incubator, so her vision was not affected.) Considered legally blind, I have no vision in my right eye and very limited vision (20/600) in my left eye. I have no depth perception and my vision diminishes quickly beyond a few feet. In fact, as I write this, my face is about an inch from the text. Growing up, Aly and I shared a special bond. Because her vision is normal, she took on the role of watching over me while inspiring my independence. It also strengthened my will to overcome my disability, because we shared common competitive interests. Our relationship was further strengthened when, at the age of 12, we embarked on what would become one of the most rewarding endeavors of our lives to date. . . cheerleading. It might seem pretty unlikely that I became a cheerleader, especially since I can't even see the athletes I cheer for, but I've never approached it that way. I simply saw cheerleading as an opportunity to see my dreams come true. Dreams, as I learned pretty quickly, don't come true on their own. So, I quite often stayed late at training where I learned the true meaning of commitment. Strength training taught me self-discipline. My first turnaround taught me perseverance. My first stunt taught me balance, in the most literal sense, and my first injury taught me how to deal with physical and emotional pain, but it also taught me how to heal..