I've been running track since I was 6 years old. My parents and little sister would always come out the support me to every single one. There was not one track meet my parents didn't come to. I've always had their support with track. Without them I wouldn't have been confident in myself as I was. When I was about 12 years old, after winning 2nd in my 100m, I found out the next track meet is State and I would be going to Memphis. That's if I win. The track meet was 2 weeks away. For two weeks straight all I did was train hard and workout everyday nonstop. My coach would come over my house every day preparing me for what I was about to get myself into. Everyone was telling me that this was not going to be like any track meet I ever been to, that this was different. The day before, my whole family came to my house because everyone was going to Memphis to watch me run. Then my mom phones rings and she goes into the other room, when she came back she was looking very sad. My mom started to tell everyone she wasn't going to be able to come to my track meet because she has work. When she told me I went in the room and cried my heart out. I was so devastated by it. At 12 I was young and sensitive so I didn't know the right way to react. A few hours later my mom came home and gave me a gold chain. When she gave it to me she made me promise that I would run my fastest regardless of if she was there or not. That kind of motivated me and kept my head high ,but I was still nervous because I really didn't know what I was getting myself into at all.
        

The whole ride to Memphis everyone was pumping my head up. She. We finally got there it was like 2 or 3 in the morning. We went to the hotel and went straight to to sleep. I had to be at the meet by 9:30 ,so that was enough time to get some rest. The next morning my dad woke me up around 8, we got something to eat ,then went over some drills. As we arrived to the school, I saw a big blue track, with over 50 schools there. I was the only one on my team that made it to state, other schools had their entire track team. I met up with my coaches ,and went over drills. As I was looking around there was people from different cultures. At 12 years old the only two cultures that I had actually been around was black and puerto rican ( my mom's side of the family ,and my dads). So I was even more nervous because everyone was just looking at me. I talked to my mom before my race. As I was stretching I was thinking about what I had to stay focus. So my heat was up, I was in lane 3. I looked at my family and kissed my necklace, and got set. While I was running all I heard was “Go cam!! Go!!”. Overall i came In 3rd out of 7 heats. Everyone was so proud of me, all the hard work paid off. When I got back home my mom was waiting for me and have me the biggest hug ever.  Now I wear the necklace to every track, regardless of if my mom was there or not. It's sort of my good luck charm.