Ten-year-old Holden Knights of Yorkton is one of five Saskatchewan youth who have qualified to compete in the Hershey Track and Field Games North American Final. This program is sponsored by the Hershey Company and features over 400 of the best young track and field athletes in Canada and the United States.
The North American final will be held on Aug. 6 in Hershey, Pennsylvania on the campus of the Milton Hershey School.
This will be the 34th year Hershey's Track and Field Games has provided 9-14 year-old boys and girls with the opportunity to learn and develop skills required to compete in track and field events.
Knights, a student at Yorkton's MC Knoll Elementary School is entered into the standing long jump event. He is one of only five youth from the province that qualified to go to Pennsylvania.
"I'm more excited then nervous," says a jumpy-looking Knights during a quick interview alongside his mom at a Tim Hortons stop last week.
"This is as far as they go," offered mom, Sue-Anne Knights, adding that she hopes her son will "have fun and do his best" at the meet. She added that Holden will be going on his own, however the group will be accompanied by chaperones.
All athletes attending the meet check in on Thursday morning Aug. 4. Sue-Anne Knights said part of the four-day trip for her son includes a meet and greet session with former American track star Carl Lewis.
Lewis won 10 Olympic medals including nine gold and 10 World Championship medals, eight of which were gold.
Part of the following day (Fri, Aug. 5), Holden will be spending at the Hersheypark amusement complex.
