A 10-year-old girl represented Ocala on the national stage last week as she competed in the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
Daniella Wray was one of hundreds of athletes from across the country to participate in this year’s Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games, which were held in Des Moines, Iowa.
Wray participated in the girls 800-meter and 1,500-meter races during the games, which took place between July 29 and August 5, 2023.
In the 800-meter race, Wray finished 24th out of 81 participants with a time of 2:45.32. She also placed 16th out of 66 in the 1,500-meter race, finishing with a time of 5:34.16.
According to a GoFundMe established before the races by Wray’s mother, Garnet Powell, in the weeks leading up to the race, Wray suffered a minor injury that set her back for a month. Despite the injury, Wray defied the odds and qualified for this year’s event.
Wray, who is part of the North Central Florida Lightnin’ runner’s club in Ocala, ran her personal best time in the 1,500-meter race during the event. According to her mother, she has run personal bests of 1:06 in the 400-meter, and 2:38 in the 800-meter.
Wray joins other locals who have put Marion County on the map for their accomplishments this year.
That includes Jeremy Reynolds and his horse, Treasured Moments, who claimed victory in this year’s 100-mile Tevis Cup.
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