Here's a good story from North Texas.

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I thought I'd share this with the board. 

Bettis running for others, herself at state meet

By Kerry Yancey

Monitor Staff Writer

KEMP–Determination and focus. The best athletes have both, no matter what kind of distraction they face.

Kemp High School junior Sharda Bettis has focused on winning at the state track meet next weekend, even though she’s faced the worst distraction possible – the death of someone close – twice this year.

Early this year, Bettis lost her father, who died at age 46, just as he was apparently rebuilding his life after a very troubled past.

“Out of all the people in my family, I was closest to him,†she recalled. “I talked to him every day (by telephone). I told him he was either going to straighten up his life, or lose me and everybody else.â€

During a lengthy interview, Bettis recalled how her father had gone through six months of rehabilitation, obtained a job and an apartment, and had met a new girlfriend.

“I don’t know what happened,†she said. “He just went downhill.â€

She and her sister had to make the decision to remove her father from life support.

“We left the hospital about 12:30 (a.m.), and about 2, they called and told us he had passed away,†she said. “He just stopped breathing.â€

Two months later, during spring break, Bettis’ boyfriend, 2008 KHS graduate Nick Lane, was killed in a tragic fall.

Lane had helped Bettis deal with her father’s death, and they had spent five days of spring break together before she traveled to Mississippi to see family members there.

“The day before I was to go back, I talked with him,†she recalled. “I hung up the phone, and 30 minutes later, I got a call from his best friend.â€

Rushing back to Dallas, Bettis visited with Lane in his hospital room.

“He opened his eyes and talked with me,†she said softly. “I stayed in the waiting room with his mom all night long.â€

In the morning, they went home to change clothes, only to be interrupted by a telephone call reporting that Lane’s condition had critically worsened, and he was undergoing emergency surgery.

“I didn’t know what to think,†she said. “I thought, ‘what did I do? Was I being punished for something?’ My heart totally ripped out of my shirt.â€

They had been dating for a year and nine months.

“It was our anniversary,†she said. “It was five days until my (17th) birthday, and we had things all planned out (to celebrate). His birthday was the following month.â€

How did she make it through?

“I really don’t know,†she admitted. “I act like I’m okay, but I’m really not.â€

Bettis had been trying to gain acceptance to Lane’s college, and the next day, she got an e-mail saying she had been accepted.

“With all that’s hit her this year, she has worked really hard,†track coach Peggy Swierc said. “Coming out of all that, she seems to have put her mind to accomplishing something.â€

Bettis advanced to the state track meet last year, finishing fourth in the 100 hurdles. This year, she qualified for the Region II meet in five different events – the 100 and 300 hurdles, the long jump and triple jump, and the 400 meter relay.

At the regional meet, she won the 100 hurdles in 14.6 seconds, which is the best time in Texas coming into the state meet, Swierc said.

“I watched the video, and I was like, ‘wow, I’m really going,’†Bettis said. “I was proud of myself.â€

In addition to the emotional burden she’s been under, Bettis hasn’t been totally healthy this year, and competed in only three meets before the District 14-3A meet in Mineola.

One of those meets was the Texas Relays in Austin, where she finished fourth with absolutely no warm-up, thanks to traffic delays.

“They were already lined up on the track, waiting for me,†she recalled. “I thought I was going to pull something. I was shaking, I was so scared.â€

Bettis ticked off health issues on her fingers.

“My hip’s out of place, I have a bone out of place in my foot, and there’s something freaky going wrong with my leg,†she said. “In the middle of track season, something went wrong with the knee that I had already messed up – but I’m not going to the doctor until after state.

“The next day – no, that’ll be Sunday – that next Monday, I’ll be at the doctor,†she promised.

Class 3A hurdles competition is scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. Saturday. Bettis won state in Mississippi as a freshman, and finished fourth last year as a sophomore. Swierc said Bettis knows what to expect at the state meet this year.

“She knows what the competition level will be,†Swierc said. “She’s the class president, a cheerleader – she’s on a competitive cheer squad outside school – so she knows when it’s time to get focused and get down to work.

“When I saw her reaction (to her time), and how much she wants this, I think she’s going to go after it,†Swierc added. “I’m very, very proud of her.â€

“I know what I’m capable of doing, and I have high expectations,†Bettis said. “I’m doing this for them.

“My two sisters both have babies,†she added. “One of them has her GED, and one finished high school. I don’t think anybody in my family has ever gone to college.â€

Bettis (who lives with Sandra and Jimmy Sterling, the owners of the Lively Grocery) plans to go to college to study criminal justice.

“I like the scientific aspect,†she said. “I want to be like CSI, and find the evidence and gather everything together. At the same time, I can argue my case if need be.â€

Determination and focus. Bettis has that, all right.

“One of my main goals is to be in the Olympics,†she said. “I’m going to go, no matter what I have to do.â€