In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Erika L. Sánchez writes a tribute essay to?Olympian Laurie Hernandez.This summer the Olympics in Rio gave us the gift of Laurie Hernandez, the vibrant 16-year-old gymnast from New Jersey who won a gold medal in the team event and a silver medal for the balance beam. Shes one of the youngest members of Team USA and has quickly become an international star and a role model for girls everywhere.I dont think Ive ever seen a young Latina receive so much love and praise, and its been incredible to watch.Hernandez, of Puerto Rican heritage, has been honing her gymnastic skills since the age of five. Her dedication to her sport is palpable in her graceful powerful movements. She exudes a confidence on the floor that is, unfortunately, rare for a teenage girl.Its taken me a lifetime to be that self-assured.When I was Hernandezs age, I never saw anyone who looked like me on TV, let alone in sports. I was uncoordinated and dreaded any sort of physical activity. Part of my hesitation stemmed from the discomfort I felt with my own body.Like many young women, I was embarrassed of simply existing, of being me. Thats why Im so encouraged when I watch Hernandez. I lament that I didnt have that kind of poise and determination, but Im so grateful that she can influence future generations of young women.Unfortunately, brown girls are often discouraged from exercising outside because its considered masculine. My grandmother, for instance, once called me marimacha, which roughly translates to butch, simply because I liked to play outdoors.Instead of getting involved with after school activities, young Latinas are often obligated to do chores or take care of their siblings. Their responsibilities primarily reside in the home, and its considered indecent to be out in the streets.Despite the discouragement I received from my environment and my own self-doubt, in seventh grade I decided to join an after-school volleyball league. Initially I was proud of having challenged myself, but I regretted my decision as soon as I realized that I was absolutely terrible, incapable of ever getting the ball over the net. My teammates would groan whenever I missed a shot. Then, as a freshman in high school I joined the track team, but quit after a few weeks because I was so slow my races didnt even count. I felt like a failure and decided I wasnt athletic, that it wasnt a part of who I was.Hernandez is the opposite of my younger self, and that is so refreshing to me. Not only is she athletically talented, her exuberance and sunny disposition add to her extraordinary presence. Its no surprise that her nicknames include Baby Shakira, and Human Emoji.She moves with personality and attitude. In addition to her gymnastics career, Hernandez is also a skilled dancer, performing flawlessly on Dancing with the Stars. Its motivating to watch her move her body with such joy. I spent so much of my youth shrouding myself and grappling with depression that its heartening to see a young woman who isnt afraid to celebrate her own talent and physique.Im now in my 30s and am so thrilled to see that times have changed for young girls of color. Latinas have become more visible in media in general, and the Internet has made it easier for girls to pursue their interests and find positive representations of themselves.Though she is much younger than me, I consider Laurie Hernandez a role model. She is the embodiment of Brown Girl Magic. In an interview this summer she stated, I want to make sure I always show off my smile and have a positive attitude the whole time, whether its during a performance, practice or doing an interview. This outlook is something we should all try to emulate.I hope that Hernandez will inspire a generation of Latina girls to pursue sports, to become comfortable with their bodies, to experience the exhilaration of physical transcendence.Erika L. Sánchez is a poet, essayist, and fiction writer. She is the author?of Lessons on Expulsion (Graywolf 2017) and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Knopf Books for Young Readers 2017). Her nonfiction has appeared in Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. She has received a CantoMundo Fellowship, a Discovery/Boston Review Poetry Prize, and a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. Wholesale Air Max 270 Black . But what about the officials? 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Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth.World champion Gary Anderson and former protege Michael Smith are ready to lock horns at Premier League Darts in Nottingham this week. Anderson played an influential part in Smiths transition from World Youth champion to fully-fledged top 10 player but are yet to collide in a major competition.Smith, who picked up his first Premier League win last week against Raymond van Barneveld, now has the chance to test himself against reigning champion Anderson on the biggest stage, live on Thursday on Sky Sports 1 HD at 7pm. Sky Live: PL Darts Thursday, 7pm, Sky Sports 1 HD Weve been arguing about this game since the fixtures came out and saying that well beat each other 7-0 Michael Smith Smith said: This was the first fixture I looked for when they were announced and its going to be good, although because Ive been waiting so long for this game I dont want to come out and blow my chance. But well both be up for it and we want to smash each other up on the board!Weve been arguing about this game since the fixtures came out and saying that well beat each other 7-0, but theres no pressure on me now that Ive got that win. I can relax and have fun up there and I cant wait to go up against him. Anderson is sixth in the league and Michael Smith is ninth Anderson added: Its a massive match for us both. Michaels had a tough start, especially playing twice in the first week, but hes started to find his feet.Now that hes got the win hell settle down and hes given himself a great chance to make the cut. He was getting a bit down about it but I know what he can do - I just dont want to let him show that against me! The debate has started.ddddddddddddIs Michael van Gerwen the greatest darts player ever? Elsewhere, world No 1 Michael van Gerwen will aim to continue his rich vein of form against Dave Chisnall.Van Gerwen struck a world record televised average in Aberdeen a fortnight ago then ended Peter Wrights unbeaten start to put himself top of the Premier League. Van Gerwen produced another inspired performance to take top spot on night five of the Premier League. The last few weeks have been brilliant, said van Gerwen. Im playing well, Im full of confidence and Im not making a lot of mistakes and Im very happy with my form.I think I can do this every week, because Ive been doing it for more than a month but I still have to practise hard and get ready for Dave because hes a great player and a big scorer.Watch Premier League Darts live on Thursday on Sky Sports 1 at 7pm. 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