He took the spotlight from the other swimmers.
A spot light is a beam of light that shines on a performer on stage. When we take the spotlight, we become the center of attention in a situation. Here are some samples:
- The Chinese gymnasts took the spotlight at the summer games.
- I’m quite shy and don’t enjoy taking the spotlight in any situation.
I don't hold anyone up as a role model.
To hold someone up means to think of them as special. We usually use this phrase to talk about someone we respect. Notice the following sentences.
- After the scandal broke, he was no longer held up as a role model.
- As a boy, I held my older brother up and wanted to be just like him.
I respect him to a higher degree.
When we respect someone to a higher degree, we admire their qualities or accomplishments more than others. Here are two more examples.
- As an adult, I respect my father to a higher degree than when I was a teenager.
- I generally don’t respect celebrities to a higher degree because they are famous.
I like Michael Jordan because of his tenacity and intensity to win every time.
Tenacity means to work long and hard to achieve a goal. Intensity means to do it with focus and energy. Here are a couple of sample sentences
- His tenacity and intensity, more than intelligence, got him through college.
- It was her tenacity and intensity that won her a spot on the team.
He knows how to manage his professional life and his private life.
Your professional life describes the time you spend at work or with job related situations. Notice the following.
- His busy professional life leaves him little free time to spend with his family.
- The demands of professional life can often be quite stressful.