Run
No going back now. Stood waiting. Spectators cheering. Chanting. Screaming. Clapping. Waiting for the blank to be fired, opening the slips which held each eager greyhound inside. I was positioned. My opponents, usually peers, too positioned against the last leg of the race. If any one of us went wrong, we'd no doubt lose.
No pressure then…
Regretting ever signing up for the relay (I'm apparently "slow" in a lot of my peers' eyes), thinking I'll probably drop the baton, or kiss the ground, or go really slow in comparison to my opponents, therefore losing all that the other three group members had pushed so hard for. A sharp blast split the air. The first people set off, sprinting with increasing pressure to widen the gaps between themselves and the others. Blurs of colour: red; green; blue and yellow, from the far side of the track striking down the lanes flashed in front of my eyes. I exhaled. Our first girl seamlessly handed the baton to our second leg. The very first to do so.
That's got us in good stead. I thought.
Our second girl maintained our first legs' lead, bounding across the track as if she was a lamb newly born in spring. I settled my body into position, knowing that soon I would either ruin or victor our teams' efforts. Our third leg had the baton. She sprinted quickly, ever increasing the lead between her and the next. My feet began to move forwards as she approached my outstretched hand. The baton landed in my hand. My turn.
"Run!" she whispered fairly loudly.
And I did.
Ran as fast as I could down the last leg - the 100m that separated me from my start and the overall finish. I felt my breath stop. My legs stretched with each stride. My arms flung past my ears. The crowd that lined the outside of the track cheered, which to me sounded little more than non-understandable slurs of noise. Everyone seemed to slow down - even time. I felt my hair stream out behind me in its usual behaviour. Feet screaming, I bounded across a faint white line. The crowd erupted. Finally, I looked back. Three girls sprinted down the last part of the track. Three girls. Four teams.
Which meant…
My arms flung up in the air, carrying me with it. I shouted a deafening "Whoo!" across the spectators. An overwhelming feeling washed over me as if the sea splashed around.
I'd done it for my team. We all had. We'd won.