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Track team inspires a new generation

Monday, July 30, 2007

Eyewitness News' Carolina Tarazona

(New York- WABC, July 17, 2007) (WABC) -- Summer may not be the obvious time for a long distance run, but don't tell that to the thousands who will, in less than three weeks, run the New York City Half Marathon. And not only is the run inspiring people to get fit, it's inspiring a whole new generation of runners.

Eyewitness News reporter Carolina Tarazona has the story.

Tarik Hawkins is 14-years-old. He's been a runner for four years. His goal? to win a gold medal one day. He says running with the Bronx Flash has kept him driven, focused and determined.

"It helps me to strive harder in the classroom to stay on the track team. You have to have good grades to stay on the track team,'' says Tarik.

The Bronx Flash Track Club is a program funded by "Team For Kids," created by the New York Road Runners. Dan Bellino, a public school teacher in the Bronx came up with the track team idea in hopes of getting his kids healthy and active. The results? Astonishing.

"We've grown in numbers, they've grown in experiences. They've grown in realization of the challenges they can meet that they never thought they could even attempt before,'' says Bellino.

Arletta Hawkins/Tarik's mother"Other kids with the running...really good,'' Tarik's mother Arletta Hawkins says.

Jasmine Grant is 15-years-old. She helped the team make it to fourth place just recently in the Chicago national championships. But it's not winning that Jasmine cares about most, it's all about being given to chance to compete.

'"I have more confidence in myself. I'm not worried about if someone is going to judge me if i'm doing something wrong. People have helped me understand that you can't always win. So track has helped me," says Jasmine.

There are about 70 kids on the Bronx Flash track team so far and the team is growing by the minute.

Next stop, climbing up to first place, so if you see some red track suits running around, step aside.

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