Flo.

Chapter 3

This month will be full of activities and I am very excited. My first meet of the season is coming up and this will be the season that could get me to the junior national team. I'm training extra hard and taking good care of myself so I can be in top condition. Harriet will have her first figure skating competition this month as well. Last week, her skating school held a show and Harriet performed. She looked very cute in her pink sparkling dress and you could see how much fun she was having while she was skating. You could really see how focused she is, especially when a jump is coming up. She's only five and she can already jump combos and her jumps are doubles. I can't wait to watch her compete!

Today is the day! My first meet of the season! I woke up early, did stretching and I tried to meditate so that I could control my energy. It was a struggle because I was so excited. Then I had breakfast and played some piano. Dad then dropped me off at the track. Octavia was already there talking to Coach Magnus. Octavia is tall, very athletic, does hurdles and long jumps. She's a year older than me and this year she's also trying to get into the junior national team. She's very good, so I'm sure she could get a spot. I walk over to them and Octavia gives me a wave, Coach Magnus greets me good morning. Coach asks me if I'm nervous and I tell him I am not. Octavia then asks me to join her to warm up. Other kids from different teams started arriving. Coach Magnus' assistant coach is his wife, Coach Augusta. Both of them were in the national team for athletics. Coach Magnus did 800m and Coach Augusta did pole jumps. They are such an inspiration and they really take good care of us athletes. They call me "Flo Jo" like Florence Griffith Joyner because they remind me of her. I run 100m the same as her and the nicknames seems fitting because my first name is Florence Josephine and she's one of the athletes I look up to. Vita and Drusilla arrive, they're sisters and they both run 800m. Vita is two years older than me and Drusilla is a year older than me, just like Octavia. Aeliana arrives next. She's fourteen, so that makes her three years older than me. She's the star of the team and she runs 100m as well. Last season, she wasn't around because she was with the national team so she was busy competing somewhere else. I guess that's why I was able to beat my previous records, this time maybe not because no one can beat Aeliana. She's tall, fast and athletic and she tries to help everyone in the team. She's nice to me, she isn't the type to feel envious or show off. She always gives me advice and always practices the value of sportsmanship. Aeliana always makes sure that I am confident. She always reminds me that I am faster than all the other girls that are older than me, even though I'm eleven. I always try to keep up with Aeliana when we compete. I feel a little intimidated because I am the only eleven year old competing with thirteen and fourteen year olds. Coach Magnus managed to put me in this age category because the board panel and he believes that placing me in my age group does not challenge me because I'm too fast. Hence, putting me with the older girls can develop my mentality. I keep reminding myself that I should not feel intimidated. I mean, last year I did very well. Maybe I feel even more anxious because I kind of feel the pressure. Aeliana snaps me out of my thoughts. It turns out I was just standing there and staring into the abyss.

"Are you okay?", she asks.

I gave her a small nod and a smile. She gives me a look that means she doesn't believe me. She was about to say something but Octavia gives a small shout.

"LOOK"

Octavia pointed to the stand. We all look and everyone reacts except me and Aeliana. I didn't react because I did not know what we were looking at. I was about to ask but Aeliana blocked my view of the stand and she motioned for me to look at the side of the stand. I see my parents and sisters arriving together with my grandparents and Nana. Nana did not go golfing this morning because she came to watch, which is really nice that she came to support me. Hattie sees me and gives me a wave and she motions everyone in my direction. They all give me encouraging smiles and waves. Then I saw Uncle Angus and Aunt Ophelia and Otto arriving. I gave them all a wave and they all gave me encouraging smiles. Otto pumps his fist into the air and makes a number one sign. Coach Magnus then asked us to all gather around.

Aeliana and I are getting ready for our event. Somehow, I feel nervous, but this is my first time that I have seemed to feel very very nervous. Coach Magnus notices me and tells me to take deep breaths. Aeliana then stops her stretching and goes to me. She congratulates me for last season, she knows that I broke my personal records. Then she whispers to me.

"And you're going to break some more."

We all line up in our positions and ready ourselves. There was silence, I could only hear my breathing. I keep my focus upfront. It felt like eternity.

BANGGG!

I ran as fast as I could. I think I'm ahead. I keep going and going and going. I'm almost near the finish line. So close, then Aeliana's foot crossed the finish line first. I am second, which is not bad. Aeliana puts her shoulder around me.

"Good job, Flo"

I give her a smile and we continue to catch our breaths. I looked at the stand to find my family. I could not find them. Suddenly, Coach Magnus and Coach Augusta come over to congratulate Aeliana and I. Aeliana spots her parents and she gives them a wave. I wave to them as well and they give me a thumbs up. They are always nice to me, maybe that's where Aeliana got her nice personality. Then a man sits besides them and gives Aeliana a wave then she waves back then he starts talking to her parents. Coach Augusta walks me to the side and she gives me water.

"Flo! Flo!"

I turned and I saw Otto and Luci coming down the stairs at the side of the stand. They are followed closely by Uncle Angus with Hattie and Harriet. They all gave me hugs and Harriet was demonstrating that she could run fast as well. The rest of the team gathered around me as well to offer me congratulations, then they headed to Aeliana. I gather my stuff and wave them good bye, then I join the team at the side.

The meet was a good one for our team. We all finished on the podium. Aeliana and I got to stand by the podium together again and she joked that the medal might wear me down because it was heavy. She said I should condition myself because the Olympic gold medal is heavier. I told her that she should condition herself first because her Olympic gold medal is coming way before mine. After, the meet, my family and I all went out for dinner. We all sat at one table with all the adults on one side and the kids on the other. While we were eating, Otto nudged me, so I looked at him. He moves his head in the direction of the adults. I saw them talking but they were all talking in really low volumes and they were looking in my direction. Nana caught me staring and motioned for me to eat my food. I wonder what they were talking about.