FAST START: Ruby Raymond, front right, is up near the front in the year 8 girls’ cross country early at the AIMS Games.
ŌTOROHANGA South School’s Ruby Raymond was pleased with her recent deeds. The Year 8 pupil who is a talented runner, took on more than 100 other competitors in the AIMS Games cross country held in Tauranga recently. The fleet-footed runner finished 57th out of more than 140 runners, a superb effort from a competitor at a small school. While she’s off to high school next year, Ruby was “chuffed” to have attended the AIMS Games, having missed out in 2021. “I found it really cool to race against other schools and now I can focus on getting faster at cross county and try to beat more people in the race I am doing next (Waikato cross county).” Ruby did admit to the course being more difficult than she had run in the past, due to a couple of hills and hurdles throughout the course. “This course was a little more complicated than other ones, but I enjoyed it.” Her love of running came about when she was young. “Ever since I was little, I had to run up steep hills at my house because I needed to exercise and [so], I’ve been in the top three in my school cross country, [and] in the past couple of years I have been winning my grade.” Ruby’s highlight was doing well against some children who come from bigger schools and have a lot more coaching and accessibility to better training. “I came under 60th place and that I got a better place than the other people who competed at my school. It was a really cool to experience going to AIMS Games and now I know what to work on in the future for my running.” Fellow schoolmates Jordy Millin and Dominic Eveleigh also took part in the cross country and did Ōtorohanga South School proud.
