Florida teen breaks national record at AAU Junior Olympics

MINNEOLA, Fla. - Fourteen-year-old Vanessa Waite recently shattered the national record for the 200-meter run for 15- and 16-year-old girls at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

She clocked in at 23.26 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 23.56 set in 2010.

"I was really excited when I found out I broke the national record, knowing that it was a 14-year record. So I knew that was really big," Vanessa told FOX 35.

Vanessa has been running since she was 7 years old. The Groveland teenager has put in years of hard work, which is why her father, who is also her coach at Power House Athletics track club, wasn’t surprised by her performance.

"Her personal best was 23.36. A personal record is when you run faster than you did before. You’re not always going to do that, but at the big meets, that’s your goal," said Randolph Waite.

Not only did Vanessa break the 200-meter record, but she also brought home gold in the 100-meter dash.

Running track has a significant mental component, and being mentally tough is just as important as physical ability. Vanessa has even received advice from Team USA track star Sha’Carri Richardson, who trains in nearby Clermont.

"She told me not to let anybody put me down or discourage me," Vanessa said.

This year, Vanessa is a first-year Lake Minneola High School student looking forward to competing against new challenges.