Dominic Byles laces up his spike track shoes, reaches down and touches his toes for a good stretch, steps onto the burnt red, rough track and places his feet into the starting blocks. A deep breath in… and a deep breath out.
The referee counts down, pulls the trigger on starter pistol, and Dominic's off, racing down his lane on the track.
Last summer, eighth-grader Dominic Byles ran the 200 and 600-meter sprints at the United States of America Track and Field Junior Olympics in North Carolina.
Dominic's achievements didn't just appear overnight. He trained early every morning and continuous afternoons to be able to compete in the track meets.
"You have to train everyday, work on different things, and keep on making the workout harder and harder as you go," Byles said.
Although Byles has achieved award winning feats at the USATF Junior Olympics, his journey getting there wasn't so easy.
Beyond Byles' struggles, he was still able to push through with support from his friends and family.
According to Dominic, he has made a lot of friends through track and gained many supporters while doing what he does best.
Dominic's journey doesn't stop here. He is continuing to grow and work on his craft as a runner. People and coaches are also looking forward to seeing Dominic's journey progress as the times come.