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Lawson Elementary student prepares to run in Junior National Olympics
DEVIN RUFFIN JR., with his trophy and medals he won in the Midwest Regional qualifying races.
Devin Ruffin, Jr. is shy in person but he is bold on the track. Ruffin, who will start third grade at Lawson Elementary in the Hazelwood School District this fall, will race in the Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) Junior National Olympics competition in Detroit, Mich.
Ruffin, age 8, has been running competitively since he was 6. He is a member of the St. Louis Blues Track Club. He will run in the 400-meter, 800-meter and the 4×100-meter relay events. In the Midwest Regional Qualifying races, Ruffin placed second in the 400- and 800-meters and he came in third in the relay.
“I don’t have a favorite track star,” he said. “But I like the 100-meters best because it’s fast. I’m excited to go to Detroit.” His personal best in the 400-meters (which is one loop around a high school track) is 1:12:38.
“Another regional track meet just ended, so we’ll look up the times on the Internet to see how the competition is doing,” said his mother, Claudia Bledsoe.
Ruffin boldly explained what he expected to win in his races – “Everything. I also want to compete in the Olympics one day.” With Chicago vying to host the Summer Games in 2016, Ruffin might join the ranks of track and field Olympians in eight years.
Bledsoe is also excited for her son. “I’m proud of him. He’s a little nervous but I told him to do his best.”
So far, Ruffin’s family has raised about $200 to send him to the competition. The St. Louis Blues Track Club drafted a letter, which he and his mother signed and she sent copies to family members and friends, asking for donations to send Ruffin to Detroit.
The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. It is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. The AAU philosophy of “Sports for All, Forever” is shared by over 500,000 members and 60,000 volunteers nationwide. The AAU Junior National Olympics started July 23 and end Aug. 2.
(Story courtesy of Hazelwood Communications Dept.)
