Hero's Journey Chart

The Hero’s Journey Chart
Separation
Ordinary World- Describe the character’s world before the adventure begins.			Played soccer for 12 years without sustaining any serious injury. Started every varsity game since freshmen year Never had trouble or was held back from trying new skills or executing drills Never felt defeated or like you couldn’t reach my dream
Call to Adventure: How does the character receive the call to adventure? This is usually presented in a problem, challenge or adventure			I received my call to adventure when the other goalkeeper took me out. Had to learn how to get around on my crutches and perform normal everyday tasks such as going to the bathroom with help, bathing with help getting dressed with help, making myself something to eat, carrying things and concentrating on getting healthy.  Also not being about to wear normal clothes because my leg brace prohibited the clothing I could wear.  Also always being exhausted, sore and achy.   Loosing my scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill.
Refusal of the Call: Does the character accept the call immediately? Does the character express reluctance?			I didn’t accept the call immediately I was depressed and thought my dreams and hopes had been shattered.  I didn’t have the motivation to try or want to try or want to succeed I just thought everything was over and that I would never have the same life again. Never be able to play sports or exercise the same way.  I had totally given up.
Answering the Call: What motivates the character to accept the call?			When I realized that I only had one year left to play soccer at a competitive level I couldn’t give up the opportunity and let someone else take my place on the field.  Seeing other people recover and play again motivated me that I could do the rehab and be ready to play in the fall.
Guide/Mentor: Is there a specific character that helps the hero understand the life situation or provides the hero with special training?			My doctors, rehabilitation therapists, my team, my family, and friends all guided me to get healthy.  My mental mentor telling me that I can play the same again was my mom.  I couldn’t disappoint her; she wanted to watch me play just as badly as I wanted to play.  I couldn’t let her down by not trying to get healthy and not giving it my all.
Crossing the Threshold: At what point in the story does the hero leave the familiar world and move into a new, unfamiliar circumstance?			When I was part way through my recover, when I tried to touch the ball again It took me months to actually get to a low level of play.  I entered the unfamiliar world when I moved to a team of girls who were five years younger than me in order to practice my skills without feeling nervous of not competing at the same level I used to.
SEPERATION
Road of Trials: What specific challenges does the hero face? Tests, allies, and enemies?	The tests that I had to go though were if my muscles could function the same way and if my muscles were fully stretched and attached and that my body accepted them.  My allies would be there other teenagers who were suffering form the same injury I was and how we helped each other and showed each other our progress, everyone looked up to someone else and was determined to meet the standards that they set and to reach the position that they were at in their recovery.  My enemies would be my doctors, because they would not clear me to play at the beginning of my season since I wasn’t healed all the way.  With a litter persuasion I was able to get them to sign my consent form.  My other enemies are also the ugly disfiguring scars that I have on my knees, and learned to cope with the way they looked.
Meeting with the Goddess: Does the hero meet with a character with special beauty and power?			I think my goddess would be my physical therapist since she had the magic touch to always making my pain go away and for giving me the information, tools and her devoted time to helping me get better.
Ordeal- Meeting with the goddess, woman as temptress, atonement with the father
Atonement (“at one with”) with or Recognition by the Father: Is the hero reunited with his or her father or a father figure in some way? Does the hero reconcile his or her beliefs or values with another’s beliefs or values?			My dad lives in North Carolina and I live in New Hampshire.  A month after my surgery I went to visit him for thanksgiving he was so surprised and proud of me that I was able to travel alone and handle everything that I needed to handle to come and see him for the holidays.  My dad had hip surgery because he was in a car accident when he was little and also suffered from Leg Perthes disease when he was little so he opened me up to his thoughts and values of how to handle the life long scars and memories.  He showed me that it was okay to feel a little down but that no matter what it took you have to pick yourself back up and move on with your life, no matter how drastically different it may or may not be.
Ultimate Boon / Magic Elixir: Does the hero find some special solution to the problem he or she is attempting to resolve? This might be a magic potion or a key to something.			I think the magic that helped me find a solution was when I played in my first game back, against the same team that I was playing when I tore my acl and being able to still play against the goalkeeper and not being terrified.  Also wearing a six-pound brace solved the problem that my muscles were still not strong enough to play at my full potential.  It did restrict some of my movement and how fast I was able to run but the fact that I could run and keep up with the play was like magic to me.
RETURN
Refusal of the Return: Does the hero initially refuse to return to the homeland or the place that he or she   began the journey?			I didn’t want to play again because I was afraid of embarrassing myself by not being able to play as well as I had before.  I was also petrified that I would re-tear my alc or reinjure myself by trying to play when my knee wasn’t strong enough.  I also had no self confidence that I would be able to play at the same level prior to my injury.
Magic Flight / Pursuit: Is there some point (generally toward the end) where the hero is being chased or is otherwise trying to escape something?	I was trying to escape the pains that I felt every time I ran or played.  It took me a long time to get used to the pain and how to handle it.  I couldn’t escape playing the game because I couldn’t let my family and team down so I had to escape the fear and pain that was holding me back.
Rescue from Without: Is there some point when all seems hopeless, when it looks like the hero is going to die, then suddenly he or she is rescued unexpectedly?			When my doctor refused to sign my consent form to let me start playing again.  When I was well over the amount of recovery time needed and I still couldn’t complete basic tasks.  When my therapist told me that she would do everything she could to get my doctor to sign my release form including her coming to my house and just kicking the ball around with me or running with me at the gym so that I could get ready to play, just out of the goodness of her heart, she didn’t ask to be paid or for anything in return she just wanted to me get healthy and play again.
Crossing the Return Threshold: Is there some point where the hero clearly returns “home”?			When I started and played almost the whole time of my first game back.  Also as the season went on that I played the whole game and almost at the point where I used to play before my injury.
Master of Two Worlds: Does it appear that the hero has conquered life in both the familiar and unfamiliar worlds?			Yes I was able to eventually take care of my self, and perform everyday tasks like using the bathroom alone, bathing alone, getting dressed alone, making myself something to eat and carrying my own backpack and not having to leave early from every class to take the time to get to the next one.  Not being 3 months behind in school in order to take the time I needed to get healthy.
Freedom to Live: Since the hero typically begins the journey to resolve a problem, does it appear the problem is at last resolved so that all can live freely?			Yes I was able to play soccer again my mom could watch me play and I had regained most of my self-confidence.  I think I finally resolved my problem and finished my journey when I was able to wear   skirts or shorts that revealed my scars.  Also being able to wear normal clothes not having to wear sweatpants or wind pants because my jeans wouldn’t fit over my leg brace.