BOOM! The starting pistol cracked the air. I started sprinting down the track. Gripping the metal baton tighter, I let the knot of nervousness in my stomach unravel as I ran. My uncertainty slipped away as I pushed my legs to go faster. 100 yards and an arm’s length away from my team’s second relay runner. I reached in front of me and slid the baton into Luna’s hand who sped forward. YES! I had made it!
In April of 2022, my first relay race took place at California’s Los Altos High School track as part of the Junior Olympics, a district-wide Physical Education mini-event that invites 4th to 6th graders to compete and win ribbons as participation awards.
Twenty minutes before the race, I could barely hear the loudspeaker’s announcement above the crowd’s din in the stands: “Team…relay…left-side bleachers!” Then, I saw my teammates heading to the bleachers’ left side.
“Hey!” I called to my teammates only a couple feet in front of me. “Wait for me!”
“Sure!” Anna, Luna, and Gianna called back. All of us wore a light green T-shirt with our school mascot on the back.
We ran the 100 meters to the bleachers just in time to listen to our coach.
Coach Skyler gave my teammates and I some tips: “Try not to focus on the people around you. Remember we are racing for fun and to beat our own personal records.”
At 1:57 pm, our relay race was about to start. No shade covered the track at the starting line. Burning hot, I could feel sweat rolling down the hollow of my back. I sighed, thinking about the bottled water available only at the race’s end.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people in the bleachers chanted team names, “Loyola Elementary! Springer Elementary! Covington Elementary! Santa Rita Elementary! Almond Elementary!”
Then, I shifted my attention to the other 3 other people on my relay race team, my school friends: Luna, our 2nd leg a quarter of the way down the track; Gianna, our 3rd leg stationed exactly opposite of me, but facing the other way; and our last leg Anna was standing 100 meters behind me on the circular track. Sweat dripped down my face as I stood in the scorching sun.
I took my mark in lane 4 behind the white line drawn on the reddish-brown track. I waited for the starting pistol, careful not to cross the line so that my team would not get disqualified. On the 400-meter track ahead of me, 6 other relay teams from 6 other schools, each with 4 members, took their positions.
“5…4…3…!.” The district wide P.E. the teacher yelled out a countdown for the first runners.
I gripped the baton as if it was the most important thing in the world.
“2…!”
The anxiety bubbled up inside my stomach, making me grasp the baton ever harder.
“1!”
The starting pistol thundered in my ears. All the first runners sped off, running with all their might. I focused on the track, driven with a sense of competitiveness against the other teams. I sped up, begging my legs to run faster, and trying to beat all other runners.
I was nearing Luna, exhausted, but kept going. As I passed her the baton, I almost dropped it. My heart leaped because dropping it would mean disqualification.
Luna sped off super fast. She poured all her energy into chasing first place. In 10 seconds, she was ahead of all other runners by at least 2 feet.
Next, Gianna was dead set on beating all the third leg runners next to her. She concentrated on the track, stretching her arm to hand the baton to Anna 5 feet away.
After securing the baton, Anna bolted towards the finish line. Cheers coming from the crowd were deafening as Anna and the Santa Rita runner neared the finish line. Luna, Gianna, and I cheered for Anna from the finish line.
“Go, Anna!” I yelled.
“You can do this!” Luna hollered.
As they sped up, Anna kept her eyes on the finish line. She sprinted across.
The loudspeaker called for 2 representative coaches from each school to watch the finish line footage.
After a couple of minutes, the coaches declared,“ Santa Rita is first, Springer in second, and Covington in third!”
My team members and I won the second place ribbon!
“Yes! We won red!” Gianna yelled
“We did it!” Anna added.
“Oh, well,” Luna said, “we can always try again next year.”
“Totally!” I agree. “We can definitely do better next time!”
We shook hands with the members of Santa Rita and all the other teams as all four of us got on the 2nd place podium platform, while Santa Rita got on the top platform right next to us and Covington got on the one to Santa Rita’s right.
My team members and I were awarded the red ribbon in front of the audience while we were drowned in applause. I felt triumphant and like it was the best day of my life.
“Great job!” The Santa Rita team congratulated us.
“You did great!” The Covington team complimented.
“Amazing job!” the Loyola team said.
After the race ended at around 2:50, Gianna, Anna, Ashley and I and our parents were invited by Luna’s parents to their house to celebrate.
As the sun shone, the ivory white house looked like it was glowing.
Five minutes after we went in, Luna’s mom served us some soda and watermelon.
Over the next 30 minutes as the parents chatted, we played games. I almost won Chutes and Ladders!
“Good job!” Luna said, high-fiving me.
“Thanks!” I replied.
“Yes! I won!” Anna jumped up and down.
“Good game.” Gianna shook hands with Anna.
“Thanks,” Anna replied.
Just then. Anna’s mom called “Ok, girls! It’s time to go!”
“Coming!” Anna shouted.
“Give me 10 seconds!” I said, putting on my purple and pink jacket.
“Ok!” Gianna stood up.
“Bye! See you on Monday!” we said as we all left Luna’s house.