Do you have a big dream? One of my dreams is to become a swim coach because I love seeing kids smile. Samantha Pescik had big dreams too, and she didn’t give up. She even went to the Olympics! Let’s learn about her story in the book “Little Girl, Big Dream: The Story of Olympian Samantha Pescik.”
Little Samantha loved gymnastics more than her toys or even ice cream! When she was just five years old, she watched the Olympics with her mom and dad. Her favorite part was the gymnastics competitions. She loved watching the athletes on the floor, the vault, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. Right then, Samantha had a big dream: “I’m going to be an Olympian!” she shouted. Her mom and dad encouraged her, saying, “Dream big, Samantha! You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha knew she had to be the best gymnast to become an Olympian. So, she practiced a lot. She even put the word “DREAM” up in her room to remind her of her goal. She would pretend to compete in front of the world, just like the Olympians on TV. She told everyone about her dream: “I’m going to be an Olympic gymnast someday!”
The more Samantha practiced, the better she got. But she had trouble with one event: the balance beam. She was scared to jump on it. This made her upset. “I can’t do it, Mom! I have to be the best to go to the Olympics!” Her mom reminded her, “You have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. Dream big, Samantha! You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha kept trying with the help of her new coach, Peter. She finally overcame her fears. With Peter’s coaching and her parents’ love, Samantha felt unstoppable. She was ready for Nationals. But when it was time to compete, she made a few mistakes and didn’t make the team. She became an alternate instead.
Samantha was upset. “I’m so mad I didn’t win,” she said. Her parents told her, “We don’t love you because you win; we love you because we love you. Dream big, Samantha! You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha kept practicing and dreaming. Finally, she made the Olympic team! But right before the competition, she hurt her ankle. Oh no! Samantha was upset, but she remembered her parents’ words: “I have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. I’m not loved because I win; I’m loved because I’m me.”
Samantha realized that being the best doesn’t always mean winning a gold medal. She cheered on her teammates, saying, “You can do it!” Even with her hurt ankle, she competed in the uneven bars and did her best routine ever. She won a silver medal!
Now, Samantha coaches kids and reminds them to keep dreaming, practicing, and supporting each other. Do you have a dream like Samantha?
Go, Samantha! Go, Samantha! Go, Samantha! Her story inspires me to dream big. Maybe I’ll become a veterinarian or a swim coach!
Create a Dream Board: Gather some magazines, newspapers, or printouts, and cut out pictures and words that represent your big dream. Glue them onto a piece of cardboard or paper to create your own dream board. Hang it in your room to remind you of your goals, just like Samantha did with the word “DREAM.” Share your dream board with your family and talk about what each picture means to you.
Balance Beam Challenge: Set up a pretend balance beam at home using a long piece of tape on the floor or a narrow piece of wood. Practice walking across it, balancing, and even doing little jumps. Remember how Samantha faced her fears on the balance beam? Think about something you find challenging and how you can practice to get better at it. Share your experience with a friend or family member.
Dream Big Journal: Start a journal where you write about your dreams and the steps you can take to achieve them. Each week, write about something new you learned or a challenge you faced, just like Samantha did. Reflect on how you felt and what you did to overcome any difficulties. Share your journal entries with a trusted adult and discuss how they can support you in reaching your dreams.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Have you ever had a really big dream? One of my big dreams is to be a swim coach because I love seeing smiles on kids’ faces. Samantha Pescik had big dreams too, and she didn’t give up on them. She ended up going to the Olympics! Check out the book “Little Girl, Big Dream: The Story of Olympian Samantha Pescik.”
Little Samantha loved gymnastics more than toys, even more than ice cream—and that’s saying something! When she was just five years old, she watched the Olympics for the first time with her mom and dad. Of course, her favorite part was the gymnastics competitions. She loved the way the athletes moved on the floor, the vault, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. It was right then and there that Samantha had a big dream: “I’m going to be an Olympian!” she shouted. Her mom and dad encouraged her, saying, “Dream big, Samantha! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha thought, “To be an Olympian, I must be the very best gymnast out there.” So, she practiced and dreamed and practiced some more. She even had her mom help her hang the word “DREAM” up in her room so she would never forget her big plan. In her room, she would close her eyes and pretend to compete in front of the world, just like the Olympians on TV. She told everyone she met about her dream: “I’m going to be an Olympic gymnast someday!” She told her teacher, her neighbors, the kids at the park, her coaches, and even the grocer. She knew that meant she had to be the best.
The more Samantha practiced, the better she got. She soon found she was great at all of the events—except for one: the balance beam. She would climb onto the beam, put her arms in the air, take a deep breath, bend her knees to jump, and then nothing. For some reason, she was too afraid to do it. This made Samantha very upset. “I can’t do it, Mom! I have to be the best, or else I won’t be able to go to the Olympics!” Her mom looked at her and said, “You have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. Dream big, Samantha! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha remembered that when she went to bed at night, staring at the word “DREAM” on her wall. “I can accomplish anything. I won’t give up no matter what.” That meant it was time to keep trying at that scary balance beam. With the help of her new coach, Peter, she finally overcame her fears. With Peter’s coaching and her parents’ love, Samantha felt unbeatable. Next stop: Nationals—or so she thought. When it was time to compete for her big chance, Samantha made a couple of mistakes. She didn’t make the team and became an alternate.
Samantha was very upset again. Two little mistakes made her feel like one big failure. “I’m so mad I didn’t win,” she mumbled on her drive home that day. Her parents looked at her and said, “We don’t love you because you win; we love you because we love you. Dream big, Samantha! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha kept practicing and dreaming and practicing some more. Finally, the day came—the day she had dreamed about since she was five years old. She made the Olympic team! She was all set to compete and be the very best when something terrible happened. While practicing right before the competition, Samantha hurt her ankle. Oh no! Samantha was very upset, but then she remembered her mom and dad’s words: “I have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. I’m not loved because I win; I’m loved because I’m me.”
Maybe being the very best doesn’t always mean winning the gold medal after all, Samantha thought. Maybe being the very best today means supporting my team. Samantha cheered on her teammates during their floor routines, saying, “You can do it!” She encouraged them during all of their routines, saying, “Dream big! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.” And they did! Even with her hurt ankle, she was able to compete in the uneven bars, and it was her best routine ever. She stood on the Olympic podium and was awarded a silver medal.
She watched as everyone cheered for her and her team. Today, Samantha coaches kids just like you and reminds them to keep dreaming, keep practicing, and keep supporting each other.
Do you have a dream like Samantha?
Go, Samantha! Go, Samantha! Go, Samantha! I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired to dream really big. My favorite part was when she hurt her ankle, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. So she practiced on the uneven bars and got a silver medal. It made me feel kind of bubbly and happy. Maybe I’ll grow up to be a veterinarian, or maybe not a veterinarian, but maybe a swim coach!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any informal language or unnecessary repetitions.
