The Real-Life Story Of A 7-Year-Old Girl From Texas Who's Breaking Olympic Records
Elaine Thompson-Herah might be an Olympic gold medalist and one of the fastest woman in the world (per The New York Times), but there's a 7-year-old girl from North Texas who has her sights set on earning that title someday. Dakota White might be an adorable little girl with braids and a contagious smile, but she's already been dubbed the "fastest kid in the nation" by Whistle. Dakota recently helped her track team win a title at the AAU Junior Olympics, where she ran her segment in under 60 seconds and broke the national record, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
When asked how many medals she's earned since she began running at the age of 3, Dakota proudly tells the reporter, "when I see them, it's like 100 to me." Her father — Cam White, a former Texas Christian University wide receiver — confirmed in a video interview with the news station that she had at least 50. The dedicated young runner has also documented her journey as track star on social media, where she has collectively gained millions of views on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.
Running is Dakota White's choice
According to WFAA News, Dakota White is the middle child and only daughter of Cam and Danielle White. Dakota might have an athletic father, but he doesn't want people to think he pushed his daughter into track and field. In a video profile from Whistle, he says, "I don't want people to think it's the father. No. You go talk to her. That's what she wanted to do. Don't put it on me. One thing I don't want to do is pressure my kids to do any sports." Dakota's mother agreed, saying, "She even pressures me. She'll be like, 'Come on, Mom. Let's go to the gym park.'"
The 7-year-old trains with Ryan Tennison at Elite Sports University and sprint coach Sonja Franklin-Johnson, who both say the young girl is dedicated, determined, and a hard worker. "I train Dakota exactly the way I'd train an 18-year-old," says Franklin-Johnson. "All the steps are the same. Just the level of intensity sometimes can be different. She's just dedicated"
In an interview with Fox 4 KDFW, Cam said his daughter admires track and field star Sha'Carri Richardson and her goal is to someday participate in the world Olympics. With her motto "no days off," Dakota White is a name you should take note of. We have feeling she might someday make the list of Olympic moments guaranteed to make you cry.