Cameron Burrell won the NCAA championship at 100 meters in 2018. As Matthew Futterman writes, “His best time is 9.93, making him one of the fastest sprinters in the world.”
That’s an impressive accomplishment, and one of which both he and his family are proud.
But when your father, Leroy, is the former world record holder in the 100 meters and an Olympic gold medalist, and your mother, Michelle, was part of the gold medal-winning sprint relay team in the 1992 Olympics, and your godfather, Carl Lewis, is one of the most prolific sprinters in history, it can be understandably hard to feel like your accomplishments measure up.
Cameron can take some solace, though, in knowing that this is the life he chose rather than one that was forced on him.
As Futterman writes, “The Burrells never advertised their athletic accomplishments to their three children. They don’t have a trophy case in their living room in suburban Houston. Their gold medals were stored in a safe deposit box.” It wasn’t until the kids stumbled across some old Team U.S.A. uniforms in the garage that they even knew about their parents’ exploits.
But while he played a variety of sports growing up, sprinting ended up feeling like his calling.
As Leroy described, Cameron “could have done anything he wanted, and he chose to run.” So when he decided to attend the University of Houston, where Cameron’s father and Lewis were both coaches, it set his path on a clear trajectory to the Olympics.
And while Covid pushed those plans back a year, trying to add his name to the family legacy is still Cameron’s dream. What’s perhaps most important, though, is that he’s embraced the dream as his own.
How do you view your life?
It can be simultaneously reassuring and…
… Read More
—
Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.