Wow! Totally unexpected for me to get to see him compete! David Verburg, one of my grandsons, has qualified to try out for the Olympics next week! My daughter, Vicki, phoned me to invite me to join her in Eugene, Oregon, to watch. I'm so excited!
David has been setting track records for his college, George Mason, this year, and has been picking up honors all spring. Best of all, he's a good kid.
I remember when he was little and being home schooled. Whenever he would get antsy or bored, Vicki had him go run it off. He'd whiz around their farm in Kentucky, around and around, until he was ready to come back and hit the books. Vicki laughed as she remembered the days--she said he ran so fast his feet didn't touch the ground. Really flew!
So now we'll find out how he stacks up against the other American competitors. He's running the 400 meters and the relay. They have three days of competition so that if a guy has a bad day, all won't be lost. As I understand it, around ten young men have similar track records as David, and only six will compete in London.
Of course, I'm hoping David will be one of them. But I'm just praying that all the competitors will do their very best so there are no regrets. Would be terrible for any of them to have a good year and then have a bad day at the try-outs because of sickness or another reason.
So best wishes to all our athletes. Do your best! Onward and upward.
Elaine Olelo Masters
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