LOOK AND SEE HOW THEY RAN Stephanie Best Stephanie (left) at the Age of Ten and brother Alan KR Mini-Interview KR: Which sports did you play at the age of ten? Stephanie: The only organized sport I participated in (outside of PE class) was swimming. I actually kept failing my swimming classes and having to take the same ones over again - I was really skinny and not very bouyant. KR: Did you participate in any training for running? Stephanie: I was absolutely not running as an activity by itself. KR: Did you run during your playtime? Stephanie: Yes, I ran playing dodge ball, softball, freeze tag, and Simon Says. I also spent time roller skating, and hiking with my parents in the summer. It was all neighborhood games with the other kids on my street, besides the classes like swimmimg in the summer. But with everything we did, I was pretty active. Stephanie took this picture of her friends, playing kickball, when she was a child. We also played red light/green light. And through out elementary school my mom would walk my brother and me to the end of the street to wait for the bus and we'd jump rope while we were waiting. Mom took a long piece of rope and the tall kids would take turns swinging it with her while the rest of us jumped until the bus came. KR: How many hours or miles did you spend or cover on running and other sports? Stephanie: Many! FACTS BIRTHDAY: October 16, 1969 PLACE OF BIRTH: New Orleans, Louisiana Stephanie in Tenth Grade FUN FACTS: Stephanie started running in 6th grade. She would run with her mom to the end of the street and back (1 mile) and her cat, Pounce, would follow along behind. She didn't run every day - only when she felt like it. In seventh grade she played soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and ran track in the spring. The only running training she did was during track season and on a successful low mileage program, qualified for the high school state meet in the mile as an 8th grader. GREATEST RUNNING ACHIEVEMENT: Stephanie was 2nd at 1999 USA Outdoors 1500. She was 3rd at the 1999 Pan American Games and the 1997 Mt. SAC Relays 1500m Champion. She was a 10-time Heptagonal Champion. LINKS Best, Stephanie | USATF Bio | Back to LOOK and SEE How they RAN Index Please email rwedit@rodale.com with comments on this column.