Jesse Teno Biography

[Aimee 1,119]

(Enjoy this dramatized version of the Life and Times of Jesse Teno)

 

Born Jesse Bartholemew Teno on the 13th of June in the year 1998 to parents of unimportant name, age and origin, Jesse was a prodigy out of the womb. Holding their first hockey stick at the tender age of six months and scoring so hard on full grown men before their first birthday. People flocked from all corners of the world to see this baby hockey savant take to the ice on hands and knees.

 

By the time they were walking, Jesse Bartholemew Teno was already facing foes of high school ages. No one could stop the wonder child from growing stronger with each passing day. When they approached the rink the ice itself would literally crack under the pressure of being witness to such strength and ability. Word of this child spread far and wide and every Vermont school was begging the child’s parents to let Jesse attend their school. It was with great pride that the unnamed parents selected Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, Vermont for their gifted and deserving offspring. 

 

It was there, at Burr and Burton Academy that Jesse Bartholemew Teno was introduced to a new sport of less epic proportions but still just as interesting: skiing. When the physical education teacher brought the class up the Magic Carpet to the top of the bunny hill, the intrepid young child took off with no direction and no teachings; for they did not need them. Knowing of the child’s genius the teacher dared not stop them from taking off. Jesse Bartholemew Teno pizza pie’d and french fried their way down the slope with ease before taking off by themselves for the main chair lift. It was here that they fell in love with skiing.

 

By the time Jesse Bartholemew Teno was in high school, they were undefeated in every sport they picked up. They had also transitioned from a center position to a goalie. It was here that they faced their first bit of adversity. A goal was scored on them and the rink went silent. Never had the child prodigy been beaten in any way shape or form as they were perfect as perfect could be. And yet it happened. But they shrugged it off, telling the crowd that they had simply blinked and missed the puck. 

 

Well…

 

It would seem that Jesse Bartholemew Teno would blink four more times during a single game and their team would lose. Never in their life had they experienced such failure. The other players on their team did not know what to do or say. They had never lost a game playing with Jesse Bartholemew Teno and no one knew how to react or feel. 

 

As time passed and Jesse Bartholemew Teno’s perfection seemed to fade, their name recognition did as well. High school would end with the same fanfare as all their classmates. No tv reporters, no scouts, no pomp and circumstance beyond the song being played at graduation. Jesse’s fame would fade as fast as they used to down the mountain on skis. 

 

In college, life was…normal? At least, that’s what Jesse assumed. School was harder, sports were harder, and no one was their friend because of the fame. In fact, no one in their school recognized them. The fame was truly over. But if anything, this meant that Jesse wanted to prove themselves. They loved the attention and wanted more. So they tried out for the ice hockey team at the University of Vermont. 

 

Backup goalie.

 

Relegated to sit on the bench after years of playing every minute of every game, Jesse spent their freshman year being humbled by the hard work around them. Their own natural talents and strength seemed to leave them, forcing them for the first time to really work to be good. Perfect was no longer an option but they could still be good. With time, Jesse proved themselves to be a good goalie and by the time senior year was ending, they had truly earned their way into the top elite of college hockey. They didn’t hold any records at UVM but they did make their way into a few top 10 record lists.

 

Out of college, Jesse was a real no-name goalie from Vermont who wanted a shot to play professional hockey. The power and raw talent that they had been born with was completely gone, leaving them to their own abilities. Joining the VHLM draft late in the off-season left little expectation for the former gifted child, knowing that there were much better goalies to be chosen. Jesse went 30th overall to the Saskatoon Wild and had to struggle through due to team issues and having no back up goalie.

 

A season later and Jesse had seemed to actually earn their place as they were drafted 21st overall by the Cologne Express and a stunning 10th overall by the London United.

 

Jesse has since had ups and downs in their professional career but they are determined to keep getting better with every season. Even though their childhood had been forgotten by others, Jesse knew that they wanted to be as close to perfect as they could; though life had since taught them that perfection didn’t always bring happiness. 

870 words for week ending 1/1/2023