Bayleigh Minor has accomplished a lot, and she has the medals to prove it. Her latest feat? Winning the 400 meters at the Junior Olympics.
“It was really weird and exciting,” Minor said. “I was very nervous while running. I did the 400 prelims, and I came out with the top-seed time. And then for the finals, I ended up winning first overall.”
She gets it honest - Bayleigh’s dad Deon was an All-American at Baylor and won two consecutive gold medals at the World Championships. Her mom, Claudia, was an All-American at Rice in the triple jump.
“It’s awesome - it’s a great experience knowing that this is something she wants to do,” Deon said. “I never put the pressure on her to run.”
Bayleigh is entering her freshman year at Fort Bend Christian Academy where her dad, Deon, will be her coach.
“He’s more hard on me as coach, but then as a dad he has a soft spot,” Bayleigh said.
“I think it’ll be a smooth transition actually, because I’ve been coaching her ever since she started running,” Deon said. “She’s looking forward to it and I know I’m looking forward to it.”
Like many young athletes, Bayleigh was inspired by the success of the track and field team at the Olympics.
“I liked how Allyson Felix persevered, and just fought for the third place,” she said. “And I liked how Sydney McLaughlin was fighting at the end for it and got the world record. It shows that I can do it, even if I’m young. And if I keep trying, I could be there one day.”