Terence “Bud” Crawford is not the only athlete with true grit in his family. On Saturday, his 7-year-old daughter Talaya Crawford showed the family name is secure in athletics when she overcame the adversity after losing her shoe early in a 200-meter race yet still won.
The younger Crawford’s shoe came off right out the gate of the Wings of Omaha Invitational AAU track meet at Northwest High School in Omaha, Nebraska.
However, she went back and put it on and what happened next is inconceivable until you remember that her father is an undisputed boxing champion.
Okay. If you do nothing else today. Watch this kid! https://t.co/0Myw9Xinsz
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) May 9, 2022
The Winning Mentality
Instead of taking a defeatist approach based on the lead time lost, Crawford put her shoe back on and jumped right back in the race. Eventually, her tenacity, speed, and hustle made the difference, and Crawford beat all the other competitors decisively to the finish line.
The video of the feat went viral, even reaching two-time Olympic 200 meters gold medalist Michael Johnson. The video had reached over 7 million views, and her superstar Dad shared his joy on Instagram.
“I just can’t stop thinking about my daughters track meet yesterday,” Crawford said in his Instagram caption. “She just doesn’t have a clue how much she just motivated me. This is the definition of not giving, heart and grit. She let it all hang out even when she was hit with adversity.”
Lay Lay’s Way
Talaya Crawford, known affectionately as “Lay Lay,” is a member of the Apollo Track Club of Omaha. The club’s Facebook page also reposted her accomplishment with the caption, “Lay Lay Crawford with the don’t quit attitude and effort! #Apollo”
Talaya reportedly runs in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races.
She has reportedly been a part of the track club for two years and is an active child who participates on the drill team, Apollo Track Club’s head coach Shunta Paul said to Omaha World-Herald.
“She was just being a kid,” Paul said. “That’s Talaya. She hates to lose. It teaches you to never give up. To me, this just speaks volumes never to give up. To adults as well, not just for kids.”
The Crawford Way
Crawford is famously dedicated to his family, even when preparing for fights. He trains between his B&B Boxing Academy in North Omaha, Nebraska, and the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where his three sons and two daughters are fixtures.
Two of Crawford’s young sons, Terence Crawford III and Tyrese Crawford, are wrestlers who have competed in the Tulsa Nationals. In 2018, Crawford III was ranked No. 1 in the nation in his weight class and had won tournaments.
Now Talaya’s athletic greatness is shining through.
“It’s just really good to see that type of will,” Marquis Thomas, head coach with Wings of Omaha, said to the Omaha World-Herald. “Keep working hard, keep going and have a goal in mind. That girl’s goal was to be first and she kept that goal.”
As Crawford chases greatness in boxing, his children add a diverse array of sportsmanship to his athletic lineage.
