Ariee Richards runs with a smile
If you鈥檙e in a race with Ariee Richards, you won鈥檛 see the smile on her face. You鈥檒l only see the back of her head.
But you鈥檒l know she鈥檚 probably smiling because that鈥檚 how she lives her life. With a smile 鈥 even when she鈥檚 running one of track鈥檚 most difficult races, the 800 meters.
The seventh grader at Ousley Junior High is actually new to track. She just started last spring after her P.E. teacher at Bryant Elementary, Jullia Phillips, pointed out how fast she is.
鈥淚t was that day that she asked me to look for a summer track team,鈥 said Ariee鈥檚 mother Charla Richards. 鈥淚 googled local teams in Arlington and found .鈥
It turned out the coach for So Swift Jaguars is also the long-time track coach at Ousley, where Ariee started in August. Coach Robin Reed-Campbell, Ousley鈥檚 careers and technology teacher, ran track herself at the University of Texas and now shares her passion for the sport with every kid she can.
鈥淚t was all fate,鈥 Charla said.
Before she discovered track, Ariee was more into riding horses and barrel racing 鈥 the reason some at Ousley call her 鈥淩odeo Girl.鈥
But it turns out the Rodeo Girl doesn鈥檛 need a horse to be fast. By July of this summer, she was in Iowa competing at the National Junior Olympics.
Her track career didn鈥檛 take off immediately though. She started out running the 200- and 400-meter races but wasn鈥檛 making the progress she wanted. She hadn鈥檛 trained as much as the other girls yet. Plus, she was a 12-year-old competing against 13- and 14-year-olds. It was a little discouraging.
But then a coach made a clerical error that changed everything. Ariee got put in the 800 meters at a track meet by mistake.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of her and happy that she didn鈥檛 let fear stop her from running something she had never run before,鈥 Charla said.
Not only did she not let fear stop her, she went all out and earned second place.
鈥淚 was put in the 800, so I was like, 鈥業 have to do this,鈥欌 Ariee said. 鈥淭hen when I started running, I said, 鈥業 actually kind of like this.鈥欌
The coaches were amazed by her time, especially since she had never trained for that distance.
鈥淪he鈥檚 an awesome runner,鈥 Coach Reed-Campbell said.
But it鈥檚 not just her talent that makes her special, her coach explained. She listens and can quickly apply any corrections and pointers given to her. Ariee has the talent and the drive.
With that first 800-meter race under her belt, she soon qualified for the Junior Olympics regional meet at Sam Houston University. After a third-place finish in Huntsville, it was on to the national meet in Iowa.
Though she didn鈥檛 run as fast as she wanted in Des Moines, the national meet was an eye-opening, learning experience. And she can鈥檛 wait to go back.
鈥2:14鈥 was the winning time at nationals, Ariee said.
That鈥檚 her target now. But her goal is to run even faster than that.
鈥淢y goals are to win,鈥 she said.
So, now she is running cross country at Ousley as she begins her quest to get back to nationals. Then the track season will follow in the spring.
鈥淚 have no doubt that we鈥檒l make it again to nationals again next year,鈥 Charla said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 determined.鈥