The Fastest Kids On The Block: Brooklyn Pre-Teens Host NYRR Youth Clinic And Race The 2016 Millrose Games
We are all inspired by our heroes, but stories have nothing on actually meeting — and working alongside — them.
That’s what 20 young runners age 12 and under got to do this past Thursday, February 18, when they met professional runners from around the world who they will also get to compete alongside this Saturday as part of the 2016 New York Road Runners’ (NYRR) Millrose Games at The Armory in Washington Heights.
“Today was a special day for me; it’s a big opportunity because i get to meet professional athletes and run with them,” said Kymoy Phillips, 11, a sixth grader from Clinton Hill who began running in third grade as part of P.S. 9’s Young Runners team — and is now one of the top two youth with the fastest qualifying times in the entire city.
Kymoy’s running hero is Usain Bolt, the Olympic runner from Jamaica who is widely considered to be the fastest runner ever recorded. He has to wait a little longer to meet him, but in the meantime, got to meet several other professional runners such as Matthew Centrowitz, Nick Willis, and Shannon Rowbury.
“The pros taught me to never give up,” said Kymoy. “Just do your race. Even if you know you can’t [make a good time], keep going. Don’t quit. The important thing is to just finish your race.”
Eleven-year-old Rosie Coats of Park Slope’s — whose running hero is the Triple Crown-winning Seabiscuit — agreed, noting that the pros taught her that “they also get stressed out, so don’t worry about it.”
“The pros inspired me that no matter what you do in life, you can always accomplish, find different things you like in life,” added Karess Pringle-Wishner, 11, also formerly of P.S. 9’s running team.
Kymoy and Rosie are the fastest two youth runners participating in the NYRR’s first-ever 800-Meter Finals to include youth from New York City elementary and middle schools. Kymoy’s fastest time is 2-minutes-33-seconds, and Rosie’s is 2-minutes-44-seconds. Karess’s time is second to Rosie’s, at 2-minutes-49-seconds.
According to NYRR, Kymoy, Rosie, and the other 18 youth runners bested about 3,000 kids in NYRR’s Young Runners program. Getting to this point required a lot of hard work and focus, with regular training at P.S. 9, Prospect Park, and the Park Slope Armory.
“The process with Kymoy is he’s always been fast, so he just had to go through the transition of breathing properly and pacing himself,” explained his coach Yvonne Pringle. “We needed to channel his energy. Not every race is about taking off fast.”
Rosie’s coach Diane Gilhuley added that with energy like theirs, the kids also need to learn how to pace themselves emotionally.
“Rosie has a big heart and a lot of energy, so when she doesn’t do well, she takes things to heart,” Gilhuley explained. “I have to teach her that it’s not about winning, but about what you get out of it. She has a heart of gold.”
For the adults, though, it also required a focus on keeping things fun. “I try to keep it fun for her by once and a while doing fun runs together in the woods to keep it fun, not stressful,” said Rosie’s dad, Greg Coats.
“How do I keep it fun for my whole team? I feed off of their energy,” said Pringle, who is also mom to Karess Pringle-Wishner. “I have some athletes who just want to run to have fun and not get serious about it.
“Karess is very reserved and laid back and so when she runs I just give her a thumbs up and smile; I don’t call her name out. She’s trained me, too. She tells me to open my stride and I tell her, too,” said Pringle.
The 2016 Millrose Games will be viewable LIVE on NBC Sports Network from 4-6pm on Saturday, February 20, and on USATF.TV online from 12-4pm. The girls race is at 2:37pm and the boys race is at 4:46pm.
The youth finals will be integrated with the professional athlete races and the famed NYRR Wanamaker Miles will follow later that afternoon.