WEBVTT 00:01.360 --> 00:03.799 Um the titles I received were the USA 00:03.809 --> 00:07.530 TF 2023 masters champion in the 00:07.539 --> 00:11.470 102 100 m also age bracket . 45 00:11.479 --> 00:13.970 to 49 years old . I won first place in 00:13.979 --> 00:16.719 the four by 100 relay with my teammates 00:16.729 --> 00:19.129 from the centennial State track club . 00:19.139 --> 00:22.379 And we also placed second in the four 00:22.389 --> 00:26.010 by 400 m relay . I've been training for 00:26.020 --> 00:28.464 the 2023 national champion ship since 00:28.474 --> 00:31.573 March 2023 . But it's been a lifetime 00:31.583 --> 00:33.784 goal of mine that I set out back in 00:33.793 --> 00:36.714 2019 . When I began my track career . I 00:36.723 --> 00:38.890 ran track back in high school and this 00:38.890 --> 00:41.133 was like over 20 years ago and I , I 00:41.144 --> 00:44.113 quit track in 1995 because I was just 00:44.124 --> 00:46.235 this little small , little skinny kid 00:46.235 --> 00:48.291 and I was always fast , but I wasn't 00:48.291 --> 00:50.457 track fast . I quit the team because I 00:50.457 --> 00:52.680 just wasn't motivated like I am now , I 00:52.680 --> 00:54.846 was inspired by my mentor . So maybe I 00:54.846 --> 00:57.068 should try it out since I had a history 00:57.068 --> 00:59.124 of it . I began training in 2019 and 00:59.124 --> 01:01.124 four years later , I'm now national 01:01.124 --> 01:03.291 champion . The type of training that I 01:03.291 --> 01:05.457 do and the results that I get , it all 01:05.457 --> 01:07.624 comes from being disciplined and being 01:07.624 --> 01:09.680 dedicated to your craft . That's one 01:09.680 --> 01:11.680 thing about us , one officers , you 01:11.680 --> 01:13.624 know , we're very dedicated to our 01:13.624 --> 01:15.791 craft and it takes a lot of discipline 01:15.791 --> 01:17.957 and attention and detail to succeed at 01:17.957 --> 01:20.235 what we do . Not only as a one officer , 01:20.235 --> 01:22.346 but just as a soldier if you want and 01:22.346 --> 01:24.513 be good at what you do . You gotta pay 01:24.513 --> 01:26.513 attention to the small things , the 01:26.513 --> 01:28.624 masters , track and field community , 01:28.624 --> 01:30.791 everyone there , they welcome you with 01:30.791 --> 01:30.622 open on . There's nothing like it . It 01:30.632 --> 01:33.001 was my first outdoor championship , but 01:33.012 --> 01:35.123 I've done the indoor championship the 01:35.123 --> 01:36.734 past two seasons . Those two 01:36.734 --> 01:38.845 competitions have nothing compared to 01:38.845 --> 01:40.901 the one I just did . It was family . 01:40.901 --> 01:42.845 Every time you see someone there , 01:42.845 --> 01:42.622 they're smiling , they're having fun , 01:42.632 --> 01:45.132 sharing personal experiences , tears of 01:45.141 --> 01:47.308 joy . I mean , I think I got choked up 01:47.308 --> 01:49.474 up couple of times after my final race 01:49.474 --> 01:51.641 because of the emotions that was going 01:51.641 --> 01:53.641 through my head after I crossed the 01:53.641 --> 01:53.615 finish line . And as I was going 01:53.625 --> 01:55.847 through those emotions , other athletes 01:55.847 --> 01:57.958 came up to me , they're going through 01:57.958 --> 02:00.014 emotions too crying . So it's been a 02:00.014 --> 02:02.125 wonderful experience . And if there's 02:02.125 --> 02:04.236 anyone that's willing to go out there 02:04.236 --> 02:03.795 and it's in the back of their head , I 02:03.805 --> 02:06.027 would say just go , go out there and do 02:06.027 --> 02:08.249 it because I'd rather for them to be on 02:08.249 --> 02:10.305 that front porch . 25 years from now 02:10.305 --> 02:12.416 saying that they failed at it than to 02:12.416 --> 02:13.046 say they didn't try it at all .