Charlotte County 6-year-old set to attend AAU Junior Olympics again

Reporter: Zach Oliveri Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:

A kid who enjoys playing with the big boys plans to do it again. WINK News spoke with athlete Traiden McClary, 6, last year. He was the youngest kid in Charlotte County to attend the AAU Junior Olympics in track and field.

McClary says it doesn’t matter how fast he runs because he never gets tired.

“The speed of the Flash’s speed,” said McClary.

“He literally is up from the time he gets up to the time he goes to sleep. He doesn’t stop. So I feel like all day is a race,” said McClary’s mother, Alexis Morales.

That spend and endurance is what he needed in the 800 meters against the 6-year-olds with a return trip to the Junior Olympics on the line.

“This year, he said he wanted to run the 800. I asked him why? Because it’s a long race. He said because he thinks he will not get tired compared to everyone else getting tired,” said Morales.

“They were kind of fast but I kind of catches up to them,” said McClary.

McClary finished in second place with a time of three minutes and eleven seconds. Finishing in second place in addition to getting fifth place in the 400 meters race, earned McClary his coveted trip back to the junior Olympics.

“Feels good knowing that he put his effort and, you know, his hardest into it and was able to go to the Junior Olympics again,” said Morales.

“Train hard or you can never run as fast as you can,” said McClary.

McClary didn’t place his first time at the Junior Olympics, but he plans on winning a medal in his second appearance. The games begin next week at Drake University in Iowa.

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