Kam Owensby chases his dream at USATF Junior Olympics

Contributed by Carmen Owensby

This month’s Our Times Youth Spotlight shines on Kam Owensby, a talented young athlete and Honor Roll student at Washington Middle School who earned the opportunity to compete at the USA Track and Field (USATF) Junior Olympics in California.

Representing the Speedsters Track Club, Kam qualified for national competition in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump—an accomplishment built on years of practice, discipline and determination.

Getting to the Junior Olympics meant early mornings, long practices and plenty of sacrifices. But Kam’s commitment to his goals paid off when he stepped onto the track alongside young athletes from across the country.

And he made the moment count.

During the competition, Kam set a new personal record in the 200-meter dash, giving him something especially meaningful to take home from California: proof that he is getting faster and that his hard work is paying off.

Kam also competed in the 100-meter dash. Although he didn’t finish where he had hoped, he didn’t allow the disappointment to define his experience. His spirits remained high, and his smile never disappeared.

That resilience may be one of the biggest victories of all.

Kam did not return home with a USATF Junior Olympics medal this time, but he came home with something that can’t be hung around his neck: a new personal record, new friendships, new goals and the experience of knowing he belongs on a national stage.

For a 12-year-old athlete, simply qualifying for the Junior Olympics is an accomplishment worth celebrating. And for Kam, this is only one chapter in a journey that is still being written.

His community will be watching—and cheering—as he continues chasing the next personal record, the next goal and the next opportunity.

Congratulations, Kam! Your community is proud of you.