A 14-year-old girl from Castro Valley who is the nation’s top-ranked middle school sprinter in the 100 meters is relying on her community’s support to attend the Junior Olympics.
Janet Criss is raising $3,500 for travel and competition-related costs, according to the family’s GoFundMe page.
“We’re doing everything we can to support her, but we can’t do it alone,” family member Stephanie Shaw said on the GoFundMe page.
Criss, who has been competing since the age of 10, previously won the Emerging Elite 100-meter Championship at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.
Criss hopes to ultimately compete at the professional level, according to her website.
“The start is what sets you apart, but the finish is what makes you great,” she wrote.
The campaign had raised $2,234 as of Friday morning.
