I Am the Victor - by erick rosado

I am the victor, not because life has been easy, but because I did not surrender when it wasn’t. I have walked through days that tried to break me, nights that whispered I was done, and still I moved—maybe slowly, maybe shaking, but forward. Victory for me is not a perfect record; it’s the fact that every time I was knocked down, a quieter, tougher part of me decided to stand up one more time than I fell. I have learned to count scars as proof of experience, not failure; to see past losses as the tuition I paid for wisdom. I am the victor because I no longer need everyone to understand me or approve of me to continue—I move with or without an audience. The battle is not about defeating others, it’s about conquering the old version of myself that lived in fear, doubt, and hesitation. Today, my victory is simple and absolute: I am still here, still growing, still choosing myself—and that is enough to call myself the winner.