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Online Education Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 in English
Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Introduction to the Chapter
Reach for the Top Part II is about the world-renowned tennis player, Maria Sharapova’s rise to the top in the world of tennis. The secret behind her phenomenal success lies in the harsh struggle and the immense sacrifice made by her and her parents. Bom in Siberia, Russia, in 1987, Maria Sharapova led a charge of Russian players who came to achieve great success in the women’s game. Her humble background and her temporary loneliness made her mentally tough and more determined. This mental strength, coupled with her competitive nature, hard work and sacrifice won her the number one position in the world in women’s tennis. Maria has also brought her own brand of glamour to tennis by designing her own unique tennis outfits.
Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 in English
Reach for the Top (Part II) briefly narrates the life and career of Maria Sharapova, one of the world’s best-known tennis stars. Behind her ready smile, disarming manner and glamorous attire lies the hard work and sacrifice that enabled Maria Sharapova to achieve the world number one position in women’s tennis on 22 August 2005. Poised beyond her years, the Siberian bom teenager took just four years as a professional to reach the pinnacle. However, the rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world began nine years before with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to endure. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when her father,
Yuri, brought her to the US to be trained in tennis. Her mother Yelena could not accompany her due to visa restrictions. In the US she missed her mother badly; her father, too, was working as much as he could to pary for her tennis-training, so, she couldn’t see him either. But she knew that the sacrifice was an inevitable price to pay for her big aspirations.
Apart from the pangs of separation from the mother, the child also suffered harassment from her inconsiderate fellow trainees, who were older in age. At the training academy, Maria would go to bed at 8 pm as she was very young. Her fellow trainees, who were older, would return at 11 pm and wake her up and make her tidy the room. Instead of letting this upset her, Maria drew mental strength and determination from this bullying. This mental toughness gradually became a trait of her personality that helped her both as a person and as a sportswoman.
If proved to be instrumental in helping her to reach the zenith of glory in the world of tennis. She bagged the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004 and became the number one tennis player in the world. However, Maria is not sentimental about her journey and the sacrifices she has had to make to achieve her goal. She says, “I am very, very competitive. I work hard at what I do. It’s my job.”
Hard work, dedication and mental courage paved the way for Sharapova’s rapid rise to success.
Imbued with patriotic sentiments, she feels proud to be a Russian. Though grateful to the US for bringing out the best in her, she would like to represent her own country Russia at the Olympics.
Although Maria is fond of fashion, singing and dancing, she focuses all her attention on tennis. She considers tennis as both a business and a sport, which has poured riches in her life. However, her main aim is to shine as a tennis player. It is this aspiration that constantly governs her mind and motivates her for ceaseless efforts.
Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Title
Reach for the Top is a very appropriate title for this account of Maria Sharapova’s journey, when at the age of nine, she came from the frozen plains of Siberia to USA with her father to train in tennis to achieving the world number one position in women’s tennis.
The ‘top’ symbolizes the highest point reached by Maria Sharapova. She reached this ‘top’ by the dint of her earnest efforts and diligent work. Thus, the title is apt in that it salutes the courage and strong will-power of this young tennis star who overcame all hardships and obstructions to reach the top.
Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Theme
This biographical account focuses on the achievements of the tennis player, Maria Sharapova who earned the title of the world number one in woman’s tennis in 2005. The author reveals the heavy price Maria Sharapova had to pay for reaching the top—hard labour, rigorous training, and sacrifice. She had to face separation from her mother and stay in completely unfamiliar and hostile surroundings for years. She also faced humiliation but never let it affect negatively. She had to undergo mental torture and bullying by other players too, but she did not let any of these problems deter her. on her path to success. She took these problems as challenges and with her mental toughness and competitive nature, she succeeded in achieving her goal.
Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Message
Maria Sharapova’s success story imparts the message that sacrifice, diligence, hard work and dedication do not go unrewarded. Dreams can be realized only if one works earnestly, putting one’s heart and soul in translating them into reality. Nothing can obstruct those who stick to their path with an unwavering devotion.
Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Character
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova, who achieved world number one position in women’s tennis is admired as much for her game as for her attractive smile and glamorous attire.
From early childhood, Maria was calmer and more composed than other children of her age. She had immense will-power and tenacity that gave her the strength to make sacrifices few people can make—separation from her mother, living alone in a hostile atmosphere in a hostel where she was bullied by senior players, gruelling training schedules and only occasional meetings with her father. She put up patiently with the torment and humiliation perpetrated on her by her fellow trainees. Thus, very early in her life, she learned that excellence comes at a price.
Maria herself claims that she is highly competitive and has always been motivated by her desire to excel. She has always toiled hard to achieve her goals. Her achievements in the world of tennis and her earnings from it are well- earned and most-deserved.
Maria is also a true patriot. Although she has spent many years in the U.S., she takes immense pride in her Russian identity and retains her Russian citizenship, although she remains indebted to the country of adoption for its contribution to her life and career. She wishes to play for Russia in the Olympics if she gets an opportunity.
Maria is as successful a businesswoman as she is as a sportsperson. She has skilfully handled her endorsements and is a fashionista who has a love for sophisticated evening gowns. She loves pancakes and chocolate spread with fizzy orange drinks.
Thus, former number World Champion, Maria Sharapova is an inspiration for everyone, especially sportswomen.
Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Briefly describe Maria Sharapova.
Answer:
Maria Sharapova, the famous woman tennis player, won the women’s singles at Wimbledon in 2004 and attained the world number one position in women’s tennis in 2005. Though Russian by birth, she got tennis training in United States of America. She loves singing, dancing, reading novels and is very hardworking and dedicated.
Question 2.
How is Maria’s personality a mix of contrasts?
Answer:
The maturity, balanced mind and inner strength of Maria does not appear to be in accordance with her glamorous dress or her charming manner and ready smile. There seems to be some mismatch between her sophisticated outer appearance and her balanced inner-self.
Question 3.
Maria possesses some contradictory characteristics. What are they?
Answer:
Maria appears to be highly fashionable as far as her appearance is considered, but she possesses a charming nature that proves her to be friendly and simple. She appears to be sophisticated and yet warm and approachable. Her love for junk foods like pancakes with chocolate spread and orange drinks appears at odds with her fondness for evening gowns.
Question 4.
Explain: “all this happened in almost no time”.
Answer:
The phrase “all this happened in almost no time” means that Maria’s rose to the top in the world of tennis was very quickly and within a very short span of four years as a professional player she became the world number one in her chosen sport.
Question 5.
What does Maria declare to be her ‘mantra for success’?
Answer:
Maria works really hard to fulfill her dreams. She does not shy away from making any sacrifice. She does not allow herself to be emotional and sentimental. She is very competitive and works hard to be the best in whatever she does. She is driven by her hunger to succeed and the dream of becoming the world number one in women’s tennis. This is her mantra for success.
Question 6.
How was Maria different from other children?
Answer:
Maria was calmer and more composed, more confident and tolerant than the other children of her age. She also had inner strength that enabled her to make sacrifices – staying away from her mother, getting bullied by senior players in the hostel – that few children could think of making. Unlike most children, she did not buckle under hardships and adverse circumstances, but toiled hard to achieve success.
Question 7.
Why was Maria brought to Florida in the USA by her father? Why didn’t her mother go with her? How did Maria respond to this separation?
Answer:
Maria was brought to Florida, USA, by her father, Yuri, to get trained as a professional tennis player and reach great heights of success and stardom in this sport. Her mother, Yelena, did not go with her because of visa restrictions. This two-year separation was very painful for the young girl. But Maria endured this sacrifice to pursue her dreams.
Question 8.
How does Maria describe her journey from Siberia to United States?
Answer:
Maria was just nine years old when she had to leave her home, mother and her country to go to the United States. She had to make many sacrifices in a foreign land where she did not even speak the language. She was bullied by senior players and had to face a lot of humiliation and insults. But she did not give in. Her competitive nature and hard work helped her become the world number one in women’s tennis.
Question 9.
What important lesson did Maria learn during the first two years of her stay in the USA, away from her mother?
Answer:
During her first two years in USA, when she was living away from her mother Maria learnt that excellence comes at a price. Since she wished to reach the top in the field of tennis, she would have to make sacrifices and struggle hard. She endured the heart-wrenching separation from her mother for two years to attain her goal. Moreover, she also learnt how to put up patiently with adverse circumstances.
Question 10.
Maria’s father accompanied her to USA but why could he also not see her during her stay there?
Answer:
Maria’s father, Yuri, had brought his nine-year-old daughter to the USA to get her trained in tennis. U Unfortunately, he too could not see her frequently as he had to work very hard to earn to pay for her training.