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At 17 years old, most are still learning basic driving skills in America. Once the car is parked, the day is packed with school activities and hanging out with friends. But at 17, Maggie Taraska had a distinctive goal in mind: Fly alone across the United States.

Both of Maggie's parents were retired from the air force, so the urge to fly is in Maggie's blood. She went to flight school, put in the hours with an instructor and started on her training hours. But on her first takeoff, something didn't sound right. The plane had lost one of the landing gear wheels. "As soon as I took off, I just heard something was wrong instinctively." said Maggie.

Her instructor talked to her from the ground while she circled a few times to gather herself. "I was frightened, thinking about all the bad things that could have happened; I was thinking about how my parents were on the ground as I knew they were watching."

Stress and panic can cause any of us to make careless decisions. It takes mental practice to calm down. "Take a few breaths, focus on the moment and follow the plan. I panicked a bit, but followed my training."

Maggie was a little shaky as she talked to the tower, but she had a perfect belly landing that skidded on the infield grass. Her father couldn't be prouder. "By the time I saw Maggie on her approach, it was a better approach than I could have flown," he said. Cheers erupted in the tower , and Maggie took a deep breath and climbed out of the plane.

Credit does go to the crew for talking to her. Yes, we all need someone to talk us through challenging times, but in the end, it was all Maggie at the controls. We could all be forgiven for calling it quits after an experience like that. After all, it was a bit distressing. So walking away would be understandable. But five days later, Maggie was going through her pre-flight safety inspections, checking the wings, especially checking the landing gear.

"It feels amazing," she said, "It gives an incredible sense of liberation." At some point in our lives, we will all be in a situation for the first time. It's scary. But if you face your fears, the whole world opens up to you.