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My older brother Juan "Jyree" Smith Solado passed away in 2015 at 14 years old. I was only 5 years old but still, I loved my big brother very heavily; I would run to him as soon as I would get off the bus, watch him play Call of Duty with his friends, and go cluelessly spectate his football practices. It affects me to this day because I've lacked a big brother figure ever since his passing.

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The Coronavirus pandemic started when I was in the middle of my 4th grade year which was 2020. I remember when my teacher told me and my class in the cafeteria, "There will be no school for the remainder of the year starting tomorrow." This was an adjustment for me, because I was a rather social kid before the quarantine. After the quarantine, I was very antisocial and it was hard for me to communicate with people, I'm still attempting to get better at my social skills to this day.

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During quarantine in 2021, I would play NBA 2k19 and start to learn the game of basketball. Watching the 2021 NBA finals was the final push that inspired me to really pursue a career in basketball. My parents bought me a basketball and I would dribble it for hours while imitating moves from my favorite players. Currently, I still play basketball for fun but I believe it wasn't meant for me to take serious and pursue a career in.

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My first fight happened in 2021 was against a boy twice my size named Shanarion, he didn’t even look like a sixth grader (probably wasn’t one either). The brawl started due to a joke I made about a substitute teacher mispronouncing his name. Instead of the substitute calling him “Sha-Narr-E-On, ” she said “Sha-Nair-Ian.” I told the kid (probably not a kid) “You better hope she doesn’t call you that for the rest of class.” This fight helped me learn, I needed to know how to defend myself, as I've never had to even think about doing anything like that. Now, I'm more conditioned for conflict so I will never be unprepared to defend myself ever again.

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Cut from Basketball Team Twice (2022 & 2023)

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Cut from Basketball Team Twice (2022 & 2023)

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I was cut from my school basketball team in 7th and 8th grade which took place in 2022 and 2023. The first time, 7th grade, I understood why I was cut, I was very undersized and I wasn't confident in my skill which translated to the court. The second time, which was 8th grade, I believe getting cut was unreasonable. I didn't score because my teammates were ball hogging, but besides that, my defense was immaculate, I had 3 steals and 1 block and communicated the whole time. After this I just completely quit taking basketball serious for good. As I've said previously, now, I just play basketball for fun with my friends sometimes.

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Making the Middle School Track & Field Team (February 2024)

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Making the Middle School Track & Field Team (February 2024)

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I made my middle school track team in 8th grade, in 2024. My friends would constantly tell me that I was very fast and advised me to try out for the middle school track team. When I went to the try out after school, to my own surprise, I out ran everyone in everything, everybody would be around 30-50 meters behind me in everything. I still didn't think I would make the roster. I remember the day the track & field rosters came out and were posted in the hallway, one of my friends ran up to me and told me I was the 2nd name on the list. I was one of the fastest people on my team that year and it lit a new passion in my heart. Now, I am currently still a track athlete and that is the sport I put all of my time and energy into.

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The Summer Between Middle and High School (June-August 2024)

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The Summer Between Middle and High School (June-August 2024)

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During the summer of 2024, between middle school and high school, I truly found myself and grew a lot as a person. I became more level-headed, grounded, and started to take life and my goals more seriously. That was the summer I decided to train hard for track and field, no longer just relying on natural speed but really putting in the work to get better every day. It was a turning point for me, because I realized how much I wanted to pursue this sport and how much potential I had in it. Now, looking back after having a stellar freshman indoor and outdoor season, I know that summer was what set me on the path to be great at what I do.

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The first day of school, my first day of high school (2024-2025 school year). Walking into his class for 3rd period, I thought he would be another grumpy old guy who's a bore. I was completely wrong, he was the best teacher I've ever had to put it simply. He gave me life advice, track advice, school advice, and I still use all of it to this day.

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Making the Varsity Track Team My Freshman Year (2025)

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Making the Varsity Track Team My Freshman Year (2025)

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Outdoor track season, 2025. I had an amazing indoor season full of growth, learning, and errors, but leading into outdoor I didn't feel confident in being a varsity level athlete my freshman year. I was pulled into a group by my track coach, and he was talking about the first invitational track meet coming up, which meant I was on varsity. It affects me to this day because it gave me an even harder drive and work ethic, which has made me progress very fast.

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Getting Injured Before Postseason (2025)

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Getting Injured Before Postseason (2025)

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I got a wrist injury in April, 2025 outdoor season. It happened like a week or two before Postseason would begin, due to a botched practice relay exchange at a track meet causing me to fall. My coaches needed me for sprint relays too and my season was ended just like that. This affects me to this day because, after I recovered from the injury, I trained hard and became a way faster athlete than I was before my injury.