What Leah Wants, Leah Just Might Get

This past season Leah Wis was an 11 year old Sub Midget  from Towaco, NJ   that was on  a single minded mission “To do  everything  thing she enjoys on the track and on the field to get what she wanted…More gold and a lot more fun to follow.

In 2008 Leah’s  Junior Olympic dreams were short circuited because of an hyper extension injury while doing Gymnastics. She was the #1 seed in both the AAU and USATF in the High Jump and had high hopes for a gold medal. Focused and determined she would not let another year come without her being front and center doing what she has come to do best compete to the best of her ability. Leah did just that.

 This year she again won 4 medals (gold, silver and 2 bronze), but the gold medal in the discus was most special of all because she finally won at nationals. Her dad said she cried even more than when she had just missed out on gold. I’m sure it means that much to her. Quiet and humble, but on the track she has a fiery competitive side that just hates to lose. She is self motivated and looks forward to excel every time she is on the track.  

 Leah is a very unique athlete in that she does almost every event. During the regular season she practices for the sprints and hurdles, while also throwing shot, discus (and even some javelin) and both jumps (high and long jump). She has even triple jumped a few times in practice and is quite good at that too. What that means for now is that she spends only a little time on each of the events and figures she can specialize when she is older.

 In  the JO meets she focuses on her favorites: the field events and the pentathlon.  During the regular season she practices for the sprints and hurdles, while also throwing shot, discus (and even some javelin) and both jumps (high and long jump). She has even triple jumped a few times in practice and is quite good at that too. What that means for now is that she spends only a little time on each of the events and figures she can specialize when she is older. In JO meets she focuses on her favorites: the field events and the pentathlon.  She acknowledges she has lots to learn still and welcomes the learning.  

Sacrifice is an automatic assumption for an athlete that is so driven and she does sacrifice but never academically. Leah is a straight A student and 3 time Math Olympian.

 Somehow she finds time for other sports as well , soccer and basketball but her favorite is track and field.

 Recently selected by Sports Illustrated for Kids as one of the 4 athletes of the month  for the October 2009 issue.  She has been making a name for herself in a very short  time . When she not participating in a sport she is loving her college football team Rutgers University .Her dad , Bob ( also her loving  coach ) and mom , Diane and big brother Matt a former two-time Junior Olympian ) are her biggest fans and their pride shines through brightly in conversation and their faces as she competes.

Matt is credited with giving her such a competitive spirit, trying to keep up and make him proud too!  When she won the gold she called him back at home and told him she loved him and wished he could be there with her since he is the one who inspired her to reach for such heights.

 As for Leah’s future dreams they are just as big as her heart to achieve them she wants to attend Rutgers University when she comes of age  she wants to attend Rutgers University In New Jerseys and recently she  was invited by the head coach of the Women’s Track Team, Coach James Robinson,  watch practice.  She  thinks the world of him. She can’t wait to compete for them some day. Next she would like  to be an Olympian,and then become a  Doctor or a Veterinarian.

Keep up the great work Leah!

Thanks to Coach Wis for  sharing this information on Leah.