THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 17, 1995 TAG: 9503160177
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover story
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
KIM HUX REMEMBERS the day she got a phone call from her daughter Courtney's second-grade teacher about the 7-year-old's performance in gym class.
Hux, a teacher herself at Cox High School, knows that calls home rarely bring good news, so she prepared herself for the worst.
``Courtney ran the mile in 7 minutes and 30 seconds,'' the physical education teacher told Hux.
``I'm sorry,'' the concerned mother replied. ``I'll do what I can to get her to run faster.''
It was obvious she knew little about running. Courtney's teacher explained that the time was remarkable for a girl her age.
Fast forward a few years. Courtney is now 12 and has shaved almost two minutes off her mile. In two years of competitive running, the willowy seventh-grader from Landstown Middle School has amassed 70 trophies and ribbons. She has one ballet trophy.
``I used to do it because I liked the trophies a lot,'' Courtney said. ``Now I just like running.''
Courtney is the defending champion in the Shamrock 8K race for her age group. She hopes to hold onto her title Saturday.
Her racing career began with a 1-mile fun run a couple of years ago.
``We told her it's her first race and she probably won't do well so just do her best,'' Kim Hux said.
But Courtney won - and hasn't stopped.
She gets a charge out of passing grumbling, grown men - including her father. Courtney started jogging with Al Hux around their Christopher Farms neighborhood, but she would pull away after only a few minutes.
``Dad's really slow,'' Courtney said.
So she joined the Tidewater Striders' New Energy youth club.
With that help, Courtney has twice competed in the Junior Olympics. To qualify, she had to place in the top 10 runners in a six-state region.
Courtney admits she daydreams about running in the Olympics.
``It's too early to tell,'' Courtney said. ``Who knows? I might end up breaking a leg or something. I'd like to go as far as I can go with it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
``I used to do it because I liked the trophies a lot,'' says
Courtney Hux, 12. ``Now I just like running.''
by CNB