
We arrived at the stadium in the middle of a large field. It felt hotter than a typical Mississippi day in this small Texan town. The wind roared at 20 miles per hour—the air dry as a desert. Tumbleweed rolled across the dirt and the red oval radiated heat. I would run 25 laps with no shade and no water, but a medal for the first one who finished. I, a senior and the fastest in the field, stood...