Why we run

Create change

Create change

I am on Instagram.

I have never had social media before and it's actually very intriguing.

I have a pretty large fan base. I've seen hundreds of edits and posts that I've been tagged in.

I've stayed away from comment sections.

I don't think I would be able to handle those just yet.

I found out that Joey is back.

And I can't see him. Why would he even want to see me?

Afi worked out the whole !HELLO¡ Argentina thing. The cover was Joey and I standing back to back showing off our tattoos.

The people are good. They are all mini investigators behind a screen.

I haven't posted anything in two weeks that has to do with Joey and everyone thinks that something is wrong.

There is an Instagram page called Jozzy_theories.

This afternoon, I have a charity event.

All money goes to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

I'm going to share my story.

I'm terrified. I don't want pity. That's the last thing I'd ever want.

Afi picked me up herself. She's keeping me calm through my raging anxiety.

"Bella stop shaking you have yet to mess up to the press you are fine," Afi says.

"Like that will make me feel better! I have YET. As in today could be that day when I do make a fool of myself and this is a very important thing not to mess up on." I rush out gripping the armrests on the seats in this car.

In a couple minutes, I am sitting on a stage in front of I don't know how many people. Imma say something stupid.

Did I mention this will also be televised?

Afi is sitting in the front row. But it'll be weird if I watch her the whole time. She'll make me laugh after I try to say something serious. I'll stare overheads. Wait it'll look like I'm not connecting with my audience.

Yup. I'm doomed.

"And now we have a special guest who is here to tell you her story. Isabella Jackson!"

Hold up! This happened way too fast what happened to all the people before me.

Oh right... they already went.

I stand at the podium and chuckle nervously.

I adjust the microphone and it screeches.

"I'm sorry. I'm not really used to talking in front of large groups of people. My anxiety is through the roof." I glance at Afi and she gives me two thumbs up.

I smile, "a lot of people don't know much about me. And I want to be real. I don't have no papers, no cue cards. I didn't prepare for this at all. No one really can."

I take a deep breath. I want to show them who I want to be. Not who they want to see.

"A lot of people know me as Isabella Jackson the gold medalist. But not many know Izzy. I for one love music and I love to move. But I've also struggled. A lot. School was never a fan of me nor I it. Being an 11 year old with toned muscles didn't help at all. I was a mini she hulk anyways... Let's be real and start from the beginning, I was born in the small province of Prince Edward Island...with a heart defect. I have VSD. Ventricular septal defect. This defect means I have a hole in my heart which mixes up the oxygen travelling through it. It was really small when I was born and the doctors said it's nothing to worry about. I had regular checkups and my parents were always told it was nothing to worry about. Until I was seven, I was at school and I had a heart attack. Surprised? Yeah my family was too. A seven year old who is a healthy athlete, having a heart attack. Several tests were done and I had been told it was because of the hole in my heart. It had grown. I have been an athlete since I was born. It started with dance, yep I'm a dancer. It turned into track and field really soon. I had the option to undergo surgery and my parents granted me permission to choose. I declined."

I hear gasps in the crowd. "I was scared then as I am scared now. I have a wonderful medical team that helps me perform at my best. Although that's not the only thing I've been hiding."

Whispers erupt.

"The first time I went to the Olympics I was 22. I didn't place in any events. I tore my ACL during my last event... the 800 metres. It wasn't a large tear. Thank God. But I was told I was never going to run again and I couldn't let that happen. I hid from my parents. My sister. My boyfriend at the time. My entire team. I hid for a year. And for that year I was working harder. I was in rehab, I was going through a strong depressive episode. It wasn't going to end. I wasn't going to let it end. I came back and breathed, ate and slept training. The training was all I did every day. Even though the pain I pushed. I was going to go to another Olympics and no one was going to stop me. It may have been stupid of me to keep these things away from my representatives. But honestly you people tell me yes or no? If you represented me and I told you I tore my ACL or had a heart defect would you have let me gone to Tokyo last year?"

The crowd shouts "NO!"

"That's my point. I don't like pity. I didn't tell my story to receive it. I want to inspire people that nothing should stop you. I want to use my platform and position in society to create change. On me, I have tattoos that say Why we run. Shout out to Bruno Ortega in Argentina for the awesome work. Anyways, Andre De Grasse taught me why. And I forgot. Joey Easterbrook helped me to remember, but it didn't sink in until I met a nine-year-old boy. He's a mini-me. Literally. His name is Isadore Scott. He knows the secret to why we run. He is the future of athletes. And if he can get me on the right path again, anything is possible. My team and I are donating 10k to this foundation. And right here right now I have two things I want to ask. The first being to mini-me."

I chuckle a bit, "how would you like to do an ad with me?" I wink directly into the camera.

"And the second is for the world... I want to ask you Why we run? If a 9-year-old cracked the code I'm sure anyone can. Thank you."

The crowd erupts in cheers.

I really don't know why. What I said was so whack...

Oh, that felt good. IT'S OVER! I can't help it. I jump off the stage and pull Afi into a hug.

"See I told you that you can do it."

I pull away and take a seat beside her and whisper, "Are you angry about what I said?"

I'm talking about offering Isadore a deal...

"If he's anything like you I better run for the hills."

I smile, "he's actually worse, he's confident."

We laugh.

My career is taking off yet I don't feel complete...

Hey look at that we are back.

But y'all there are in fact 7-8 more chapters of this book.

I was actually kinda shook to find out my book is #1 in track books. It made me laugh.

We are drawing closer to the end and so many things need to happen.