Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar

Author:Schuyler Bailar [Bailar, Schuyler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2021-09-07T00:00:00+00:00

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When I get up behind the blocks for my first race, I find myself looking for Lucy, despite everything. Ever since we were kids, this was our pre-race ritual. She’d stand at the end of my lane and do our dance. I’d stand behind the block and do it in response. Our dance was really dumb. We made it up when we were probably seven or eight. We’d raise our arms above our heads and wiggle our hands around in circles, bouncing our heads from side to side, and then after a few of those, we’d point to each other across the pool.

Today, there’s definitely no Lucy on the other side of my lane. When she wasn’t there at Summer Champs, I nearly lost it. I mean, I did lose, actually. I did terrible at that meet.

The official is blowing the whistle and we’re stepping up on the blocks. My heart rate quickens and I give myself a mini pep talk.

You’ve trained for this for months. You got it. Nothing else matters right now.

I shut my eyes for a moment inside my goggles and imagine myself at the end of my own lane doing our dance.

This is it. Let’s go.

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