Travel costs for the USATF & AAU Junior Olympics

Kamil's big year.

Age 14 is the pinnacle year for youth track and field - and this year is Kamil's year! Since he was 8 years-old and won his first 400m (back when I literally went on my phone and googled "what is a 400m? and "what does winning a 400m mean?" ), Kamil has given his all to the sport he loves.

Countless hours of training, pushing himself and being pushed. The dedication to practice and train during the off-weekends and off-season. Being away from home nearly every weekend from March-July. The all-day competitions held on both days of the weekend. Sitting around all day to race for 55 seconds or 12 seconds or 23 seconds.

Waking up at 530am. Going to bed early on Friday and Saturday nights. Missing time with friends and family and events. Since we moved, spending over 2+ hours in the car on the way to practice and two more hours on the way back. Missing school but keeping up with his schoolwork and maintaining an A- average. Kamil has spent the past seven years (even the covid year) training, running and working to get better.

This year, he has been competing nationally in Indoor Track with meets in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Baton Rouge, Birmingham and Louisville, Kentucky -- not to mention all the weekends spent in hotel rooms in Los Angeles.

Next up are the two big trips with his team - Compton Electric Speed - which includes two straight weeks of travel: the 2023 USATF Junior Olympics in Eugene, Oregon (July 24-30) and the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa (July 30-Aug 6) --- two straight weeks on the road. Plans are set to finish his last race in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday afternoon, July 30, drive to Portland and catch an overnight flight to Des Moines, Iowa to compete the next day. It's a lot but it's what he has been preparing for.

Traveling for two weeks on the road, staying in hotels, rental cars, flights, food, and maintaining health and wellness while traveling all come at a cost. Even the smallest contribution helps offset the cost of traveling and allows Kamil the opportunity to continue competing on a national level.