PassageAThinkAboutItReadAboutItTalkAboutItWriteAboutIt1.Doyouenjoywatchingfigureskating?Explain.2.Doyouknowanyfamousfigureskaters?Sharewhatyouknowwitheachother.3.Whatdoyouusuallydowhenfacingdifficulties?ReadAboutItLanguagePointsContentAwarenessLanguageFocusNeverGiveUpTheytoldhimtoquit,thathewasn’tgoodenough,butfigureskaterPaulWylierefusedtolisten.ThesilvermedalheearnedinAlbertville,France,usheredthe27-year-oldfigureskaterintoanewexistence.Hewasnolongeranobodywhochokedatbigevents,likethe1988CalgaryOlympics,wherehefinishedanunimpressive10th.Nolongertherecipientofadvicefromjudgeswho,afterPaul’sperformanceinthe’91WorldChampionships,suggestedthathequit:“Makeroomfortheyoungerskaters.”Nolongerthetargetofloadedquestionsfromreporterscoveringthe’91OlympicTrials(“Whatareyoudoinghere?”).NolongertheskaterincapableoffinishingaheadofU.S.NationalChampionToddEldredgeorthree-timedefendingWorldChampionKurtBrowningofCanada.NowPaulWyliewasanOlympichero.Anathletewhokeptgoingwhendoubterssuggestedhequit.ArecentHarvardUniversitygraduatewhohadfrequentlyfantasizedaboutlifewithoutgruelinghoursontheice,butwhoperseveredanyway.Ayoungmanwhohaddiscoveredanddemonstratedthatgoalscanbereachednomatterhowmanyobstaclesandbotchedattemptslieintheway.“AreporterwhointerviewedmeattheClosingCeremoniestoldme,‘Youcamehereanunknownandnowyougohomeahero,’”Paulsays.“Ithoughtthatwasinteresting,becauseIwasinFranceandunawareofhowmyjourneywasunfoldingonU.S.television.Itwasn’tuntilIsteppedofftheplanethatIrealizedpeopleconsideredmeahero.Theywerechangedbymystory.TheywerechangedbythefactthatIwasabletopersevereandwinthesilvermedaleventhoughalmosteveryonehadcountedmeout.”Attimes,Paulhadalmostcountedhimselfout.“Twomonthsbeforethe’92Olympics,USATodaydidasurveyofdifferentathletesandasked,‘Howoftendoyoucontemplateretirement?’Thechoiceswere:‘yearly,’‘monthly’or‘weekly.’”“Iwrote,‘daily,’becauseitwashardtokeepgoing.ButIjustdecided,I’mgoingtopersevereandhanginthere,becauseIhaveashot.”Thingsdefinitelychangedin1992i