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At 18, Allyson Felix is the world's fastest teen girl. Ever. Now, she's got her eye on the Summer Olympics, to be held this August in Athens, Greece.

But she's got to earn it first. She has to finish in the top three in her main event—the 200-meter dash—at July's U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento. That'll take about 22 seconds, maybe 23. If it takes much longer than that, Allyson might just end up watching the Olympics on TV like the rest of us.

Given her current track record, though, we'll most likely be watching her in action. She's a five-time high school state champ in California. Last year, while still a senior at Los Angeles Baptist High School, Allyson finished second in the 200 at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. A few months later, in front of 50,000 fans in Mexico City, she ran her best time ever—22.11 seconds, the fastest in history for a high school girl. And a few weeks after that, she missed her prom while qualifying for the state meet.

How does Allyson handle the pressure of such intense competition?

"I pray a lot," she says. "I always make time to spend in the Word, just talking to God. My speed is a gift from God, and I run for his glory. Whatever I do, it all comes from him."

Allyson didn't discover her gift till she tried out for track in the ninth grade. Before long, her name was everywhere. Just 10 weeks after that first tryout, she finished seventh in the 200 at the state championships. Now, less than four years later, she's the fastest teen on the planet.

Says Allyson, now a freshman at the University of Southern California, "I'm always striving to be the best that I can."

Some people think the 200-meter world record—21.34 seconds—will never be broken. Allyson's not so convinced.

"I hope I can break it," she says. "Maybe not this year, but that will be my goal, ultimately."

Update: Since the initial publication of this article, Allyson Felix went on to compete in the Athens Olympics. She set a world junior record in the qualifying round of the 200-meter sprint and won the silver medal in the finals.

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today/Campus Life magazine.
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