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My coach did all the work: entering us into events and strategically planning how to win the meet. We had a small team compared to the other schools on Long Island. We were a team of four Jamaicans, three Haitians, and two Americans and we were all very close. Tonight, as most nights, I would run the 800m with my team captain, Horace Bryan -- a Jamaican from the UK. He was the national record holder for the indoor 200meter. The year before, he was on the 400x4 relay team that held the High School National record for many years. He was offered a full scholarship to an Ivy League school after graduation.
We got on the starting line. Horace started next to me, which helped because I felt less nervous. We were on the line with some of the fastest half-milers in Long Island who wanted nothing more than to take a bite out of Horace's long stride. The gun was about to go off and the tension was building. When the gun goes off, you feel like you’re being shot out of a canon. It’s the most freeing feeling, just letting loose on this indoor rubbery track.
The turns come fast and furious. The track wasn't banked so we had to control our speed when turning the corners. The straight aways would send you into full flight. I was quickly in the lead and it felt easy. I dared not look back but I felt the chase behind me. It was exciting to lead the race. A few competitors challenged me for the lead but I was able to hold them off. After 400meters I started to feel the pain of the race, but I had to hold on a little bit longer. I was waiting on a sound, waiting for my team captain to make his move. Usually at the last 200 or 300 meter, Horace would make a sound with his breathing -- a whooshing sound. I could hear him some meters behind me. He would always hang in the back of the pack until the last 200-300 meters.
He made the noise with his breathing and just flew by everyone. He passed me to take over the lead, as did a few other runners. His effort during the last 200 meters was phenomenal. I knew he was suffering and in pain, but he ran balls to bones to take first place and always with one of the fastest times in the country for a high school athlete.
I played a small part in that event. Though track and field is an individual race, there is team work involved. I lead out the race, making the other runners chase after me. They would run my race. They reacted to my efforts so that Horace could hang back and run his race. This was a tactic we used often. The reward was that Horace would win while I would finish in the Top 6 while still earning points. Points that we needed to ensure our team’s victory.
These experiences really helped me to grow as an athlete and a human being. A year later I became a stronger 800meter runner. I learned the value of supporting people unselfishly. Horace has always supported me both on and off the track by being both a big brother and good friend.