Thursday, November 28, 2019

Michael Phelps free essay sample

That Is Michael Phelps In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers he expresses that, â€Å"It makes a difference where and when we grew up. The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievement in ways we cannot begin to imagine† (Gladwell 19). He believes that there are other factors besides hard work and ambition that contribute to a person’s success. There are the rare cases, like Oprah Winfrey, who rose from nothing and worked hard her whole life to be who she is today. Although, most of today’s successful individuals were given opportunities that no one else had. Michael Phelps is a prime example. He was not born an Olympic swimmer; he was constructed from an early age to be an Olympic swimmer. His family, the opportunities that he was given, and the 10,000 hour rule all play an integral part in his success. We will write a custom essay sample on Michael Phelps or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To begin with, his genetics were engineered for swimming. He has a long torso which is good for decreasing drag. It allows him to glide effortlessly through the water. His arm span is over six feet. A large arm span enables him to cover a longer distance with each stroke he takes. His legs are short compared to his arm span, but that makes it easier to generate power with is legs. His size fourteen feet act as flippers, they propel him through the water (Kennedy). But it takes much more than genetics to make a great swimmer. The culture and environment that Michael Phelps grew up in is what started young Phelps on his road to gold. His influence to swim came from his sisters Whitney and Hillary. Whitney has won a National Championship and served on the United States National Team. She tried out for the Olympics, but did not succeed. Hilary was on the University of Richmond swim team (North Baltimore). As a younger child he sat on the pool deck watching and cheering on his sisters. When Phelps was younger he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He had difficulty following instructions, paying attention in class, and always had an abundance of energy. His mother quickly began working with Phelp’s doctor to counteract the ADHD symptoms. They decided on a combination of medication and sports (Hahn). His mother decided that swimming should be his sport just his like sisters. She chose swimming because she understood that children with ADHD needed structure and somewhere to channel their pent up energy (Hahn). Swimming was the perfect sport for Phelps to work out his superfluous energy and it was a sport that required little focus. All he had to center his attention on was swimming up and down lanes. His mother signed him up for swimming at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, which is where it all began (â€Å"Michael Phelps†). North Baltimore Aquatic Club is no stranger to Olympic swimmers. Its swimmers have won nineteen Gold Metals, sixteen World Records, and thirty five American Records. Michael was immersed into the Olympic world of swimming at a young age; he knew Anita Nall and Beth Bosford who both won gold in the early 90’s from NBAC (Phelps 10). Michael grew up around swimming and it was the only thing he knew. His access to the pool and the opportunities that NBAC provided give Phelps the competitive edge to succeed. It takes an expert to become a great swimmer. A person cannot it do it alone, they need someone on the pool deck watching and critiquing their every move. At age eleven Phelps was no expert, so he needed someone to teach and mold him. NBAC was crawling with coaches eager to raise an Olympic swimmer, including Bob Bowman whom Phelps has been working with for over twelve years now. When Bowman was younger he was on the Florida State swim team. After graduating with a degree in child psychology he immediately started coaching instead. He has been all over the country coaching from Florida to Las Vegas, but never stayed in one location for more than two years, until he stumbled upon Michael Phelps at NBAC. Bowman was the perfect choice to undertake Phelp’s swimming career. He handles every aspect of Phelps’ swimming; he plans his, â€Å"warm ups, warm downs, stretching, messages, calorie intake, and meal times† (Forde). There is not much mental ability that Phelps’ has to put into his swimming career. All he has to do is provide the muscle and Bowman takes care of everything else. Michael believes that, â€Å"I don’t think I could be where I am today with any other coach† (Forde). Neurologist Daniel Levitin has found that, â€Å"Ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert† (Gladwell 40). From composers to athletes this rule applies. Preparation, instead of solely natural talent plays an important role in determining a person’s success (Gladwell 38). All the opportunities in the world do not make a difference unless a person logs ten thousand hours of practice. It is then and only then that one can achieve mastery. Bob Bowman and NBAC are responsible for giving Michael Phelps the opportunity to learn how to be an expert swimmer. Since Phelps started training with Bowman at NBAC from a young age he got an early start on his training. That gave Phelps a competitive advantage over other swimmers. Bowman was able to mold Phelps’ strength, power, and endurance from a young age. They are key aspects of muscle performance and without them Phelps’ muscles would not be able to sustain such a demanding lifestyle (Freudenrich). NBAC’s pool was equipped with high tech cameras that followed Phelps up and down the lane above and below the water. The camera allowed Bowman to critique Phelps’ every stroke (Valdes). From age eleven to fifteen Phelps practiced six days a week, swimming three times a day; totaling five hours of practice a day (Valdes). Five hours of practice a day multiplied by six days a week equals thirty hours of practice in a week. At age fifteen Phelps had logged 7,800 hours of practice. That same year Phelps was the youngest person to compete in the Sydney Olympics (â€Å"Michael Phelps†). It is not surprising that he did not win in Sydney, because at that point he had only accrued 7,800 hours of practice. From age twelve onward Bowman had Phelps practicing seven days a week for five hours a day (Valdes). The extra day of practice allowed Phelps to achieve ten thousand hours of practice by the time he was seventeen. He later accumulated well over ten thousand hours of practice by the time he competed in the 2004 Olympics, where he won six gold medals (â€Å"Michael Phelps†). There is more to success than determination, even though it is clear that Michael Phelps’ dedication to his craft is a huge factor to his success as an Olympic swimmer. He has been dedicated to his sport since he was eleven years old. Not many kids would have sacrificed their play time to spend several hours a day, three times a day. His perseverance is relentless, but there are other contributing factors to his success. There were a flow of opportunities that were presented to Phelps to aid in his success. He just so happened to be born into a family of swimmers, so he was exposed to swimming at such a young age. He was given the extra ordinary opportunity of being exposed to world class coaches at NBAC. If it were not for his mother enrolling him at NBAC, he would have never met Bowman, whom Phelps says he owes a lot of his success to. If Bowman pursued his child psychology degree instead of coaching he would have not been a coach at NBAC. Michael Phelps’ surroundings and the opportunities that were afforded to him allowed him to transpire. Currently Phelps is training for the 2012 Olympics in London; it will be his fourth Olympics. Works Cited Forde, Pat. â€Å"Intense? Insane? Maybe, but Bowman is the architect of Phelps’ quest. † ESPN. 14 Aug. 2008. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Freudenrich, Craig. â€Å"How Exercise Works. † Discovery Health. 11 Apr. 2011. Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Print Kennedy, Mike.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Tips for Working on a College Group Project

Tips for Working on a College Group Project Group projects in college can be great experiences or nightmares. From other people not carrying their weight to waiting to the last minute, group projects can quickly turn into an unnecessarily large and ugly problem. By following the basic tips below, however, you can work to ensure that your group project leads to a great grade instead of a massive headache. Set Roles and Goals Early It may seem silly and basic, but setting roles and goals early will help out immensely as the project progresses. Specify who is doing what (research? writing? presenting?), with as much detail as possible and with dates and deadlines when appropriate. After all, knowing that one of your group members is going to complete part of the papers research wont do any good if he completes it after the project due date. Allow a Time Cushion at the End of Your Schedule Lets say the project is due on the 10th of the month. Aim to have everything done by the 5th or the 7th, just to be safe. After all, life happens: people get sick, files get lost, group members flake. Allowing for a little cushion will help prevent major stress (and a possible catastrophe) on the actual due date. Arrange for Periodic Check-ins and Updates You may be working your you-know-what off to finish your part of the project, but not everyone may be as diligent. Arrange to meet as a group every other week to update each other, discuss how the project is going, or even just work on things together. This way, everyone will know the group, as a whole, is on track before it becomes too late to fix the problem. Allow Time for Someone to Check the Final Project With so many people working on a project, things can often seem disconnected or confusing. Check in with a campus writing center, another group, your professor, or anyone else who may be helpful to review your final project before you turn it in. An extra set of eyes can be invaluable for a big project that will have an impact on so many peoples grades. Talk to Your Professor if Someone isnt Pitching In One negative aspect of doing group projects is the possibility that one member (or more!) is not pitching in to help the rest of the group. Although you may feel awkward about doing so, know that its OK to check in with your professor about whats happening (or not happening). You can do this midway through the project or at the end. Most professors will want to know and, if you check in midway through the project, they might be able to give you some advice about how to move forward.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Effects of Smoking on the Human Body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects of Smoking on the Human Body - Essay Example Once inhaled, carbon monoxide reaches the blood stream through the lungs and alveoli, it binds to the hemoglobin portion of the red blood cells, forming a stable compound called carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb). The stability of the compound is due to the fact that hemoglobin has a 200–250 times higher affinity for carbon monoxide than it has for oxygen. Thus, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the hemoglobin is reduced, limiting oxygen supply to cells and tissues. The diseases caused by limited oxygen in the blood include cardiovascular disease, stroke, and circulatory problems. Tar on the other hand, accumulates in the lung, causing the inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchi, the trachea, and the bronchioles, damages the lungs, reduces the size of the airway. Smoke thus interferes with the functioning of the respiratory system and causes chronic bronchitis and persistent cough. Tar also damages the cilia on the upper portions of the respiratory system and increases phlegm production. Finally, the chemicals in smoke damage the lungs, reduce lung surface area and affect the alveoli’s’ functionality. Lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), mouth and throat cancer, and increased asthma symptoms are the other respiratory effects of smoking (National Cancer Institute, 2008). ... One of the mechanisms by which smoking leads to elevated CO2 levels in the blood is that the harmful chemicals in the smoke damages the alveoli of the lungs. This damage implies that the CO2 formed in other parts of the body and transported to the lungs for elimination is not efficiently eliminated at the alveoli surfaces, leading to increased levels of CO2 in the blood. How Smoking Affects other Organ Systems Besides the respiratory system, smoking affects other organ systems such as the circulatory system. In this system, smoking causes the blood clotting, blockages and narrowing of blood vessels, increased risks of strokes and heart attacks, increased blood pressure, palpitations. These conditions cause various infections that might require procedures such as amputation. The nervous system and the brain are also affected by tobacco smoking, which decreases oxygen supply to the brain as hemoglobin combines with carbon monoxide. The normal functioning of the CNS is affected as delic ate nerve endings are damages and blood supply interfered with (The New York Times, 2002). Additionally, smoking causes attention deficit and memory problems. The immune system is also affected by the tobacco toxins that enter the body via smoking so that the functioning of the white blood cells is impaired. Thus, the body becomes vulnerable to infections. The reproductive system is also not spared by smoking, which may cause erectile dysfunction, impotency, sterility, menopause, and low weight births. Correlating Cellular Respiration with the Respiratory System The correlation between cellular respiration and the respiratory system is rather clear. For instance, minus cellular respiration in the lungs,