I’d gone snowboarding in France with my little brother, and what we lacked in skill we made up for in enthusiasm. That day, fresh snow had been falling, and we were in high spirits. We stopped near the top of an off-path section that went through forests. I let my brother disappear into the trees ahead, figuring I would soon catch up.

I began to pick up speed when I was suddenly thrown off balance. Just as I was regaining control, I ran into the trunk of a large tree.

It was like hitting a solid wall. The pain was instant. I knew immediately that my back was broken and quickly realized the situation could get very serious. Nobody would be coming past. There was no phone signal. It was snowing and cold. If I waited, I would probably be rescued eventually. But the chance of freezing to death before that happened was too high for me to risk staying put.

I tried to stand but fell down and almost blacked out with pain. I managed to get the board off from my feet and moved it under my stomach so I was lying on it. I faced down the mountain and used the board to slowly drag and slide my body down the steep, tree-lined slope.

It took about two hours before a skier found me and I got help. The mountain rescue team came, with my brother arriving shortly afterwards. I couldn’t feel my hands or my toes from the cold, but the relief at knowing I was safe was enormous.

A helicopter took me to hospital. I had broken one of my backbones, so I had an operation where the doctors inserted plates. The constant pain was huge, but it wasn’t as bad as seeing the pain and worry I put my family through.

The recovery road was tough, but I was lucky. Gradually, I was able to walk, then swim, then cycle and then run. I haven’t been back to the slopes yet, but it might happen someday—I will, however, be sticking to the paths.

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.

In 1849, after graduation from medical school, she decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.

Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children. Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women.

When Sophia was 2 years old, a butterfly landed on her. After that she was absorbed in insects. In addition to loving to read about insects and have her mom search information online about them to read to her. Sophia loves live ones. “If she keeps an insect, she always names it and will talk to them and kiss them.” Spencer. Sophia's mom said “When she has one, she always makes sure to learn what it eats and what the best habitat for it is.” Sophia's love for insects used to get her bullied(霸凌) by kids of her age.

Afraid that being called “strange” would cause Sophie to lose her enthusiasm, Spencer wrote a letter to a scientific society last year, explaining that her 8-year-old daughter loved to learn and explore the world of insects and asked if professional entomologist(昆虫学家) would be willing to speak to her over the phone or write her letter encouraging her in her dreams.

After an outpouring of love and support from the scientific community online, she has a newfound confidence in her scientific interest- along with her first byline(署名) in a scientific journal. Last August, the Society posted the letter online, writing, “A young girl who loves insects is being bullied needs our support”. In response, entomologists from all over the world reached out in support of Sophia and offering their time and resources.

Besides, Sophia took lessons from Morgan, an entomology Ph.D. “Last week she caught a fly and it had babies. Morgan called her to walk her through the process of raising the young insects, which she plans to set free after they are adults. We are now proud of the owner of over a 100 babies in an insect container. She feeds them food every day and is attracted by the rapid development that is happening,” she added.