Littlejohn boy inspires Mustangs

In track and field, your legs are undoubtedly your greatest assets.

Sure, your arms propel your legs forward and your brain tells your body when to quit; but in a sport that focuses primarily on speed, power and endurance, your legs ultimately get you where you want to go — which in most cases is across the finish line.

So what happens when your legs let you down?

Ultimately, you have a choice to make. You can succumb to the pain and disappointment or you can persevere and push forward, drawing on internal strength to carry you through.

If your Lakewood Ranch High distance runner Kristin Zarrella, you take the latter approach.

As the anchor for the Lady Mustangs 3,200-meter relay team, Zarrella had a sizeable lead heading into the race’s final lap at the Class 3A state track and field meet May 6 at Showalter Field in Winter Park (see story page 26).

The sophomore had the gold medal in her sights, but with 200 meters to go, Zarrella’s legs began to tighten. Zarrella did her best to push forward, but with about 50 meters to go, her legs gave out and she fell to the track in overwhelming pain.

It was in those agonizing moments lying on the track that Zarrella had a choice to make: She could continue to lie on the track as the rest of the competition passed by or she could get up and continue on.

With her teammates cheering her on, Zarrella got up and managed to cross the finish line ahead of the other six runners.

Zarrella pushed on for herself. She pushed on for her teammates. But most importantly, she pushed on for a little boy who had become a source of inspiration for her and her teammates.

Tucked away under her singlet, Zarrella and the rest of her teammates had written “4 Adrian” on themselves in honor of Adrian Littlejohn, the 1-year-old son of Lakewood assistant football and track coach Anthony Littlejohn, who lost his battle with pediatric cancer May 1.

“We wanted to do it all for Adrian (Littlejohn),” junior Devin McDermott said. “Seeing all of the heart they displayed - our team did just that.”

He may not have been with us for very long, but it’s clear that Adrian Littlejohn touched more lives then most people touch in a lifetime.

And I’m certain he’s happy with the silver medal hanging proudly around his neck.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].