Akala Garrett growing into Harding University High School star
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BVM) — Prodigy: a person, especially a young one, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities. If you looked the word up in the dictionary, you’d probably come across a photo of Harding University High School track runner, Akala Garrett.聽
Just a sophomore in high school, the 5-foot-6 speed demon was named Gatorade鈥檚 North Carolina Girls Track & Field Player of the Year after placing Top 10 nationally in multiple events. She holds the country鈥檚 fastest 400-meter hurdle time, is No. 3 in the 300-meter hurdles and No. 7 in the 100-meter hurdles.聽
A lot of fast times for someone who doesn鈥檛 even train her speed, yet.聽
鈥�She hasn’t tapped into that superhero strength that some athletes have,鈥� LaSonja Collins, Garrett鈥檚 mother and high school coach, said. 鈥淪he doesn’t do it yet because I purposely hold her back from doing sprinting so she doesn’t get hurt, so we don’t do a lot of speed work so once she starts getting that in you’ll see a lot of things drop for her.鈥�
It鈥檚 a scary thought for competitors nationwide. Pair that with the fact that she has some serious motivational propaganda making her all the more determined, and soon, nobody will stand a chance.聽
The first time that Garrett ever tried qualifying for the Junior Olympics, she missed the cut by one spot. Now, people she competes against unfortunately have to feel her wrath.聽
鈥�It hurt my feelings,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淚 was good but I wasn鈥檛 taking it seriously enough. When I missed that by one spot I wanted to take it seriously because I wanted to be at the Junior Olympics by next year and I made it and I kept making it ever since then.鈥�
The success she鈥檚 endured ever since has been through the roof for someone her age, something that oftentimes she had trouble coming to terms with. She believed she was too young to be experiencing all the winning and that it simply wouldn鈥檛 hold up. But Collins worked with her to change her mindset and instill into her the confidence that she can do anything she wants at any age.聽
鈥淪he thinks a lot of times she’s too young to do a lot of things but because of how we train and what I put in her, I think that her training allows her body to do the things but mentally, because she’s so humble, she surprises herself,鈥� Collins said.
But Garrett now understands that she deserves everything she鈥檚 achieved. Regardless of age, she鈥檚 a top dog and needs to have that mentality in order to stay there.
鈥淚 know I鈥檓 at the top and I know I have to continue to work hard to stay at the top,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淣ever let up, never think it’s going to be easy because from here on out, people are going to want that spot, too; everybody wants the same thing.鈥�
As long as Garrett continues along the path she has been taking, Collins knows that she hasn鈥檛 even scratched the tip of the iceberg. The Class 4A Most Outstanding Performer, the 100M state champion and one of the country鈥檚 fastest, Garrett will one day have much bigger things to worry about, but for now, she鈥檒l continue to control the controllables.聽
鈥淪he’s going to be one of those people that can go from the 800s and then all the way down if she wants to and I want her to believe in that,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淪o once she gets it herself, I believe she鈥檚 going to be one of the best that鈥檚 ever done it.鈥�
