Chapter 3: The Finish Line Isn’t the End

Chapter 3: The Finish Line Isn’t the End

Intro:

Every race has a finish line—but for Oliver, his greatest challenge was learning that reaching the finish wasn’t the end of the dream. It was just the start of a new one.

Story:

Training at the county camp was like entering a different world. Here, every runner was fast. Coaches timed everything to the millisecond. Diets were calculated. Schedules were tight. Oliver sometimes felt like he was always catching up.

But he didn’t give up. He asked questions. Studied technique. Practiced after hours. A senior athlete named Adam took him under his wing, showing him how to improve his start technique and pacing.

Over months, Oliver transformed. He ran smarter, not just faster. And when the National Youth Trials were announced, his coach told him, “You’re ready.”

Nerves churned in his stomach the night before the race. He called his mum. “What if I mess up?” She simply replied, “You won when you refused to quit. Just run your race, Ollie.”

Race day came. The track was immaculate. The crowd roared. As he stepped into position, Oliver closed his eyes and remembered everything—the barefoot sprints, the sprained ankle, the lonely early mornings.

The gun fired. He launched forward, keeping pace. At the halfway mark, he was in third. With 50 meters left, he surged. The finish line blurred. He crossed it—and fell.

He didn’t know the result. He was gasping for breath. Then the screen flashed: 1st – Oliver Reed – 11.02 seconds.

He had done it. He was going to represent England at the junior international meet in Berlin.

Later, during a quiet moment, he walked the track alone. He looked down at the finish line.

And then he looked up.

Outro:

He smiled and whispered, “This isn’t the end—it’s my starting line.