Popescu 1

Angela Popescu

Mrs. Davenport

English 9 Honors

20 March 2017
Ambition Speech

As we read Macbeth, we noticed that he is an evil character with motivation to cause

calamities. He used ambition negatively and out of greed to get the crown. Why would he kill the

king for his throne when he already had such a high position as a nobleman? A king has a lot

more responsibilities and hardships than a mere Thane. It is quite absurd if you ask me. We all

know how that story ended, and it wasnt pleasant. Yes, indeed, if you let your ambition drive

you to insanity then it is definitely detrimental. Unlike in Macbeths case, ambition is quite an

advantageous quality. A person without ambition is like a car without an engine. One cannot

succeed if they dont have motivation. I believe that people need the ambition to push themselves

through and toil to achieve their desired goals. Although some have used it negatively, it is

overall a valuable trait to have. There are many ways in which one can use ambition in a

positive way. Many of us use ambition in school to get the best possible grades. Others use

ambition when it comes to athletics, such as Finny in A Separate Peace. Today Im going to

talk about ambition used in athletics. More specifically about tennis, the sport that I play, and the

degree of ambition required to become a skilled player.

I have been playing tennis since I was eight years old, and it is one of my greatest

passions. I was forced into it at first because it looked like a lot of work, and I didnt think I

would be good at it. After several classes, I began to see it as a fun activity, so I started playing

daily. However, as much as I was enjoying it, I didnt think I was playing to my full potential. I

began to watch tennis tournaments, and analyze famous tennis players style. That is when I got
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to know about Serena Williams, a tennis superstar. I watched her play and was astonished. I

wanted someday to become as good as she is. She inspired me to work harder and improve my

skills. My ambition led me to participate in many tournaments, and win many games, and I owe

it all to Serena Williams. I knew without a doubt that she was very talented, but thats not what

made her so great. The time and labor she put in were what got her to be the best. So how exactly

does she become so ambitious? ESPN writes that Serena sets goals for herself every year. She

trains each day intensely to meet her goals. In addition to training in tennis, she has a separate

workout. Her workout is the thing that propels her to be the top of the womens tennis world.

Tennis players train intensely to achieve strength and endurance to be their best. Professional

tennis players do about 40 workouts each day. Not only do they work out, but they also have a

diet regimen they have to follow. I did a little research on Serenas workout and found out two of

her favorite activities. Serena says she does Bikram yoga and Pilates two or three times a week to

strengthen her core and improve her endurance. By doing these, she burns about 600 calories in

one class that is 90 minutes long. All the labor was not meaningless. According to

biography.com, she won 23 Grand Slam single titles and several Olympic gold medals. With her

23rd win, the tennis superstar captured the world number one ranking. If that doesnt take

ambition, I dont know what does. As I was searching Serenas training, I came across some

people that tried doing Serenas workout to achieve the same flawless physique as her. One of

the girls sweat badly and became severely sore. Serena Williams is not just a tennis idol, but also

a workout inspiration. Least to say, she was a huge motivator for me. After seeing how ambitious

she is, I started setting goals for myself. I made my way up as I saw improvement. I did more

strenuous workouts each week. I practiced whenever I had some free time from school activities,
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and I did my best to improve through training. I am content I never gave up on my passion, and I

worked hard to become skilled at a sport I love.

This type of ambition can be used on many things in life, either in the academic field,

hobbies, or simply trying to be the best at what your focus is at this moment. Finding a role

model, somebody to inspire you, is of great importance in succeeding in your endeavor and

pursuing your dreams. Set short and long term for yourself, and work your way up as you see

improvement. Learn from your mistakes, and celebrate every small victory along the way.

Success is not only for famous people, but we all can achieve our goals with ambition,

perseverance, and determination. Put your mind where your heart is; the sky is your limit! We

can all be our idol, so work hard for it! Anyone ambitious almost always achieves anything.
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Works Cited

A Tennis Workout Plan For The Competitive Player. Optimum Tennis, Optimum Tennis

LLC, 2 Nov. 2015, www.optimumtennis.net/tennis-workout-plan.htm. Accessed 20 Mar.

2017.

Allen, Richie. Serena William Workout. Muscle Prodigy, Muscle Prodigy, 10 Dec. 2011,

www.muscleprodigy.com/serena-williams-workout/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

Arata, Emily. I Tried Serena Williams Workout Routine And Almost Sweat To Death. Elite

Daily, elitedaily.com/sports/serena-williams-nike-workout-routine/1557868/. Accessed

20 Mar. 2017.

Evert, Chris. Impact 25: Serena Williams Serves Up Some Ambitious Goals For 2015. ESPN,

ESPN Internet Ventures, www.espn.com/espnw/news-

commentary/article/12005414/serena-williams-serves-some-ambitious-goals-2015.

Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Serena Williams Biography. Biography, A&E Television Networks, LLC,

www.biography.com/people/serena-williams-9532901. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy Of Macbeth. The language of literature. McDougal Little,

Evanston IL, 2002, pp. 328-429