For a couple years when I was around eleven or twelve years old I got pretty into archery.  A friend of mine got me into it and every Saturday we'd go down to the local archery range and shoot bows and arrows.

I remember at one point they announced they were going to have a competition for people in our age range.  I thought it was going to be pretty fun.  I always just borrowed a standard bow from the range, but when the competition rolled around these kids showed up who I'd never seen before and they were fully equipped with high-tech compound bows with every accessory you could get like stabilizers and sights and they had these special devices that let you grip and release the bowstring easier.  Needless to say, these kids completely smoked me.  I don't know if it's completely fair to let people compete against each other with that big of a difference in equipment.  It's kind of like racing a tricycle against a Harley.  

But anyway, I somehow managed to get fifth place and in doing so I still managed to receive the biggest damn trophy I've ever seen in my life.  Seriously, the thing was like three feet tall.  For fifth place.  It was a really ostentatious display for not-so-great of a showing, but I put that thing on my shelf anyway.  Come to think of it, I'm not exactly sure what happened to it.  I'm guessing my Mom probably threw it out somewhere along the way.  It's probably just as well.  I sure as heck don't have anywhere to put that thing now!