Passage

 

a. Lionel Messi

Many people think that Lionel Messi is one of the greatest football players ever, and so do I. But getting to the top of his profession wasn't easy. As a boy, Messi was the most talented player in one of Argentina's best youth teams, but he was much shorter than the other players in the team. Although Messi was very fit, his parents were concerned because he wasn't growing like other boys his age. The doctor who examined him recommended special medicine to help him grow. However, the medicine was very expensive and Messi's parents weren't wealthy people. Fortunately, someone from FC Barcelona saw Messi play. He was so impressed by Messi’s performance that he asked him to play for Barcelona. In addition, he agreed to pay for Messi’s medicine. So, at the age of 13, Messi and his family went to live in Spain. It wasn’t easy living in a new country and coping with his medical condition, but Messi soon became a star on the Barcelona team. Today, fans cheer for Messi everywhere he plays, whether it’s for FC Barcelona or the Argentina National team. And what about his height? Well, the average height of a European professional footballer is 1.81 metres. At 1.69 metres, Messi is short, but his height hasn’t prevented him from winning the FIFA Best Professional Player of the World award again and again, and I’m sure many athletes look up to this outstanding player.

b. Venus and Serena Williams
Along with many people, I used to think tennis was a sport for rich people because lots of successful tennis players come from wealthy families. But Venus and Serena Williams are different. These two famous American tennis players grew up in a Los Angeles slum where most people didn’t have the time to learn tennis or the money to buy the expensive gear. One day, their father watched a tennis match between two women on television and learned how much money professional tennis players made. He realized that if his girls learned to play tennis well, they would have an advantage. So he got some books and videos about playing tennis and taught himself, and then his children, the game. It just so happened that Serena and Venus had a real talent for tennis and the more they played, the better they got. They were so good that they started to play in, and win, international competitions, often competing against each other. The Williams sisters are still considered two of the best women tennis players ever. I think they’re amazing! They’ve certainly come a long way by working hard to develop their talent and by believing in themselves.

c. Michael Phelps
Being a swimmer myself, I’ve always admired Michael Phelps. And when I heard about what he had to cope with as a child, I admired him even more. While he was growing up in the USA, lots of things were hard for Michael. He had a learning problem that made it difficult for him to sit still in class and pay attention like most of the other children did. His parents got many complaints from teachers and one even said that Michael would never do well at anything. Michael’s classmates also made fun of the way he looked. But Michael didn’t let these negative things influence him. If he had wasted time feeling sorry for himself, things might have been different. Instead, he got involved in all kinds of sports. He loved playing baseball and football and he went swimming – a sport he and his sisters learned together. Michael was so good at swimming that a coach saw him and told him he could become an Olympic champion. For years he trained every day, and his hard work paid off. Michael won 22 Olympic medals, becoming one of the most famous swimming champions of all time.