As athletes from Team USA prepare to compete in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, we as court reporters can feel a kinship with them. They strive for perfection in their chosen sport; we strive for perfection in our writing. They aim for the gold; we aim for 100% accuracy.
Writing as perfectly as possible is the challenge we face every day. Like our American athletes, we practice every day for years to prepare us for what lies ahead. As students, we do our drills, learn our briefs, write a take. Then we read back, correct our misstrokes, and try again. We repeat this process over and over again, always aiming for an error-free result.
When we begin our reporting careers and encounter testimony that is technical in nature, a witness with a heavy accent, or participants speaking at breakneck speed, we rise to the challenge and put forth our best efforts. From the moment we swear in a witness and begin writing, we are in competition with ourselves to push harder, write cleaner, and write faster.
When our profession’s elite compete against each other every year in the National Speed Contest, only one-tenth of a percentage point can separate the winner from the first runner-up. That’s as close to the Olympics as we can get!
So the next time you watch your favorite athletes go for the gold, think about all the training and practice that they endured that enabled them to compete on the Olympic stage, and let it inspire you to reach your next level of success.
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