Destiny Fairley at 2015 UIL State meet
Destiny Fairley
Destiny Fairley has been running since she was 8 years old. To be fair, she has been running since she was 2 years old, but thanks to her mother’s encouragement, she has been competing and winning at practically every level since age 8.
Last week, while readying for her senior year at Jarrell High School, she qualified for and competed at the AAU Jr. Olympics Track & Field near Houston in the 200- and 400-meter runs.
“When I was 8 years old, my mom put me on a track team and realized I had some potential. I qualified for the Junior Olympics the first time when I was 9 and again at age 10.”
Fairley took a break from running for a while but didn’t miss a step when she ran track as a Freshman at Jarrell High school; she was 3rd place at the UIL State meet in the 400m and 7th in the Triple Jump.
As a sophomore, she placed 2nd in the 200m and 400m, 7th in the long jump, and 6th in the triple jump.
In her 2015 season, Fairley won gold in the 400m, and was 7th in the triple jump. Her corresponding area and regional rankings are consistently in the top three.
Despite the fact that she hasn’t even begun her senior season, she has received letters of interest from nearly every prestigious Ivy League university and many Division I schools.
With this in mind, she focuses on being a well rounded student and citizen as well. “Most of the time you can find me reading—or eating—but I really like helping out so I work a lot in community service.” She was Vice-President of the Student Council and Class President. “I really want to run in college, and my goal is to make myself as desirable as I can to maximize my opportunities. That, and getting my times down!”
Her current Junior Olympic qualification was earned as a member of the Round Rock Stars Track Club. “The Junior Olympics are a huge program and a really competitive meet,” she says. “Runners from all 50 states—the top 100 kids with the fastest times will be there, and to get there you have to be faster than a few thousand other people. If you’re in the top ten there, you’re really tops in the country.”
When she spoke to the Advocate, Fairley was anxiously waiting the start time for Round Rock teammate Darius Darks who, at just 11 years old, is 9th in the nation in the 800m. She is also excited about the meet because 2016 is the games’ 50th anniversary.
Personally, Destiny feels very blessed to have the ability and the opportunities she has. “I run for my family, my school, my coach and my community, and I am so grateful for the support I have received from the people of Jarrell.”
Fairley says she just wants to make everyone proud, especially her mom who has always been there for her.
She’s certain of the hard work ahead but is very articulate and passionate about wanting to make a difference on and off the track. “Coming from a small town. I couldn’t have gotten this far without Jarrell’s support. I want to inspire others to know their worth. Know that the Lord has a specific plan for you, and if you allow Him to guide you, you will be unstoppable. Don’t ever doubt yourself even when it seems others do or life lets you down, because others can not grasp what is truly in your heart. They do not see your determination. They do not understand your passion. They do not see the work and dedication you put in it every day to succeed. They don’t know what you have sacrificed. So do not let anyone take away your light because that light was given to you for a reason.”
RESULTS
Both local runners did a tremendous job and represented our County well.
Destiny ran a personal best in the 200M run at 25.51 but did not qualify for the finals this year.
In the 400M she placed 17th in the trials with a time of 57.75.
Darius Darks placed 36th in the 200M with a time of 27.84. He was 22nd in the 400M dash at 1:02.28. He was 9th in the 800M at 2:22.94, just missing the cutoff for the finals.
