This Running athlete was made not a natural. It took her four years to get where she is today. Jasmine Turtle Morales did it, All-American in the Junior Olympics USATF Cross-Country Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jasmine placed 7th in the 13-14 age-group 4K with a time of 15:24.9. Jasmine went through a lot of trial and error with every season, every race, every heart break from every obstacle. Experience is everything in learning how to run. I remember her first Regional meet in Arizona (running the 3000 meters) she cried 3/4 through the race. When she was running she couldn't breath because she was crying and she couldn't stay up with her competitor. Sometime its hard to put two and two together. Nerves really can play games on your mind but to deal with those nerve and stay relax is the trick. Knowing that your have done everything right to get where you need to be at this point builds confident and that will shine. The only thing you can do is do your best, that's all you need to know at the start line. Have a plan A and then have a plan B and never give up.
Through the whole year it was almost perfect from the start. It does help when you have parent that will take her to the park when coach say do this workout when the team wasn't meeting. But Jasmine wanted it real bad and your can see it in her practices every time she came. Running tough at every practice and staying coach-able, an athlete that trusted that she can be better and believed that she could do it. This inspired the others athletes on the team and they would learn from her and try harder. Watch out HS Coaches, here comes Jasmine.
Jasmine Turtle Morales (14) Albuquerqu Athletics Track
