For as long as Khalid Navarro can remember, he has loved sports. He’s played soccer, football, and baseball and excelled at all of them. It wasn’t until recently his dad suggested he run track to increase his speed on the field.
Turns out, Khalid’s fast––really fast! At eight years old, Khalid has been named an All American and is fifth in the nation for the 800 events, second in the nation for the javelin throw, and has also won numerous medals in the 4×4 relay. Over the summer, he competed in the National Junior Olympics in Sacramento, California and placed ninth his first year. This kid is unstoppable, and Creighton School District is proud to call him a student.
Khalid is not just a great athlete, but a leader on the field with his teammates. He regularly leads his team in warm-up drills and competes as a team in the 4×4 relays. His encouragement and determination to keep growing as an athlete is contagious.
When asked what advice he has for other kids who want to compete in track and field, Khalid says, “Even if you’re tired, keep on pushing. Always strive to beat your time and reach your goals.” Khalid adheres to this advice not only as an athlete but as a student too.
Khalid says he knows the importance of being a good student in the world of sports. To compete in high school and college, he must get good grades. He says the way to do that is to study, listen to your teacher, and get your homework done. School isn’t all homework and studying, Khalid enjoys doing experiments in science class, hanging with his friend at recess. P.E. is his favorite subject.
He loves the hands-on learning that Papago School in the Creighton School District has to offer, whether that’s with iPads in class or taking field trips. Recently, Khalid participated in a field trip to the Musical Instrument Museum, where he got to play the instruments, learn the history of music, and see how each instrument sounded.
His fondest memory is of Ms. Mendez his second-grade teacher at Papago School. Khalid enjoyed how she motivated her students to always strive to grow academically and he especially loves fun Fridays when students were able to use points earned for good behavior and grades to “buy” items from a treasure chest. By the end of second grade, Khalid had the most points out of anyone in his class. These experiences create memories that will last a lifetime.
“Khalid is a hard-working student and is a very talented athlete. He is recognized as a leader in the classroom. We are very proud of him!,” says Papago School Principal Sylvia Early.
Khalid wants his training to translate into a career in the NFL. Right now, Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Chiefs is his favorite player and he routinely cheers for the Chiefs. He wants to keep competing on track teams, as well as practicing his skills on the football field.
He hopes to play football in high school and college. At eight years old, Khalid says he has too many trophies to count. He has the full support of his parents, who have supported and encourage him to keep moving forward as he gets closer to achieving his goal of not only becoming a track star but playing in the NFL.
