One Night, One Mistake

Story of The Week

Emma was a rising star in hockey, known for her incredible talent on the ice. From a young age, she excelled in the sport, quickly becoming one of the top players in her league. With excellent grades and a spotless record, Emma was the epitome of a student-athlete. Her coaches and parents never had to worry about her. Emma always made the right choices, surrounded herself with quality friends, and was careful with her social media presence. She understood the importance of maintaining a good reputation, especially as she was nearing the end of high school and her dream of earning a college scholarship to play hockey seemed all but guaranteed.

At 17, Emma had never strayed from her path. Apart from a few sips of her mom's wine, she had never touched alcohol. But as graduation approached, Emma began to feel the weight of her responsibilities. So when she was invited to a party where all her friends would be, she thought, "Why not let loose for one night?" After all, she had been on the right track her whole life.

That night, however, things spiraled out of control. Instead of having just a couple of drinks, Emma drank heavily—taking multiple shots of hard liquor. As the alcohol took over, her judgment became clouded. In a reckless moment, she decided to jump off the pool shed into the pool. Her friends tried to stop her, but before they could, Emma leaped. Tragically, she miscalculated the jump and landed short, shattering her leg.

The injury was severe. Emma spent six months in a cast, and although she worked tirelessly to recover, she was never able to skate with the same speed and agility. The scholarship offers that once seemed certain slipped away as her leg never fully healed.

Emma still went on to college, where she graduated with honors, but her dream of playing college hockey at the highest level was lost. She continued to play recreationally, but every time she stepped on the ice, she was reminded of that fateful night. The regret of letting one night of poor choices change her life path forever is something Emma carries with her, a cautionary tale of how quickly everything can change.

Stat of the week

Sport had a different meaning during Ancient Roman Times. The two main sports below were very high risk. Not the risk in winning or losing but more the risk of living or dying.  

Gladiator Games- Gladiators fought in brutal, often deadly combat for public entertainment. The mortality rate was high, with about one in five gladiators dying in the arena.

Chariot Racing- Chariot races were extremely dangerous, with crashes (known as "shipwrecks") often resulting in severe injuries or death. Charioteers and horses were at constant risk, with an estimated 40-50% mortality rate among professional racers.

 If you are looking for a new 18+ series that includes such sport, here is the trailer to the new Prime show "Those about to Die" Those About to Die | Official Trailer | Peacock Original (youtube.com)