Dear Angel:
It's hard to believe that another high school and summer track season has come and gone for you and your teammates! Mom and I are very proud of you ending your year with a top 10 finish in the nation in the 400M! What we're even prouder of is what you had to overcome to get to this point!
As parents we want you to succeed at everything you do. Our hope is that along the way that your road to success will be smooth and that there will be no roadblocks for you to stumble on.
Unfortunately, we know that life doesn't work like that and it seemed like your track season wanted to teach us all that lesson.
You worked so hard to prepare for this year's state championship. We watched you set your goals. We watched you put in the work on and off the track. You won meet after meet and broke your own school record several times.
Then we watched you step on the track as ready as anyone could ever be for the moment you've been working for! And as you know the unthinkable happened.
Just 10 meters from the finish line...you're body gives out and you fall. We watched in horror as time seemed to go into slow motion. I was in shock and in disbelief as you laid there. But what happened next was the start of something powerful!
You picked yourself off of the ground and you finished the race!
Watch Bojangles Track Classic Races
Tears still come to my eyes as I replay the moment of you getting up in my mind.
I knew you were hurting mentally and physically but you didn't quit! You finished what you started!
Afterward life also showed what great coaches, friends, and family you have as we all gathered around to
support you. It also showed you how close our track community is as competitors, parents, and coaches from other teams reached out to you.You know one of my favorite sayings is "You never lose. You either win or you learn!"
Boy did you learn! I still remember you telling me in the car, a few weeks later, that the fall taught you that you still have more work to do physically and mentally if you wanted to reach your goals for that year.
You needed to become stronger both mentally and physically. And you did!
You needed to learn that life does not go as you script it out and that you will have to make adjustments along the way. And you did!
You needed to learn that life rewards those that don't quit. And it did!
Instead of quitting you got back on the track and worked harder and captured both the AAU and USATF state championship in the 400M. And you set new PR's in the 200M and 400M along the way!
Then you won silver at the USATF Region Championship with your new PR of 55.58 in the 400M! And then you capped it off with another 55 and top 10 finish in the nation at the USATF JO's!
This year was a big year of growth and accomplishments for you on and off the track! Believe it or not Angel, you inspire us. Even though we're the parents, you've reinforced the lesson of never giving up. And you demonstrated to us how to pick yourself up off the ground when life trips you up and finish what you start!
Now it's time for a well-deserved break as you get ready for your senior year!
Love,
Daddy
