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OkillSports 36SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011Local runner not intimidated by older competitionBy Jon KuiperijBEAVER SPORTS EDITORTarrah Price has quickly learned how to balance many different priorities in her life.She is one of the top downhill skiers of her age level in the province, trains religiously at a local gym and also competes in triathlons and even half-marathons, all while maintaining grades that will likely get her on her schools honour roll this year.Pretty impressive stuff. Even more impressive when you consider her age.You dont get many 12-year-olds who come home from school, put their walkman on and go for a 15-kilometre run, says her father, Jason.Shes truly a driven person.Most passionate about skiingTarrah, a Grade 7 student at St. Mildreds-Lightbourn School, is most passionate about skiing. She was third in slalom and fifth overall at this years provincial champion-ships and her dream is to win Olympic gold.Price recently began running as part of her fitness train-ing as a skier. But running has quickly become more than just a cardiovascular workout. Its become a new passion.Price loves to run, though she doesnt have a regular routine. You don't get She goes for a run at least once a many 12-year-olds week, whenever she feels like it.who come home Part of Prices love for running from school, putmight be genetic. Her mother, their walkman on Beverley, is a former Iron Man competitor, while Jason and and go for a Beverley have also competed in 15-kilometre run.several half-Iron Man races togeth-er. Jason Price,Tarrah has participated in tri-referring to his athlons since the age of three. She daughter Tarrahdeveloped her swimming abilities at the Oakville Aquatic Club before COMPETING WITH THE BIG BOYS: Twelve-year-old Tarrah Price (second from right) is surrounded by competitors at leastquitting the sport to focus more heavily on skiing.twice her age at a recent half-marathon in Toronto. Price finished the 21.5-kilometre course in 1:47:33, finishing 190th out of the 2,252This year, Jason asked his daughter if she would like to women that competed in the run.run a half-marathon for the first time. Tarrah was inter-estedwith full-grown adults and running the streets of Torontowere supportive., but there was a problem.without the accompaniment of family or friends.People would say Shes my idol. Shes 12 and shesI asked if she would like to do the half-marathon in Mississauga, but you have to be 16 to do the Mississauga You can have problems in any race if you haventdoing this, Tarrah recalls.hatrained, particularly if youre a young child. Part of it isWhenever I went by people, they said good things aboutlf-marathon, Jason said.The maturity, Jason says.me. It made me feel better about myself.family then noticed that the Toronto half-marathon had no such stipulations, Runners had to be 18 to partici-Tarrahs gone to Chile, to Switzerland since she wasMental tenacity the key for youngsterpate in the eight years old for ski camps. From 10 years old, shes trav-full marathon, but there were no age require-ments eled around the world with her coaches but without herAt 73 pounds, Tarrah may not have the frame to reachfor the half-marathon distance.parents.her Olympic dream in downhill skiing.I didnt do a whole lot to prepare for it or anything, TarrahShe has the physical maturity to get into the corral at theShe may not grow enough to be a ski racer, Jason admits.thShe start of a race and I dont think you could take too manysays.finished 190out of 2,252 females most of them a12-year-olds and put them in that environment, he adds.Tarrah may not reach the top of the world as a competi-t least twice her age in the race, finishing the 21.5-kilo-metreMy wife would have run with her, but (Beverley) canttive runner, either. But thats not what its all about, her course in a time of 1:47:33.keep up. Her fastest half-marathon was 1:52. Thats stillfather says.Mature beyond her yearsfive minutes slower than (Tarrah).Her biggest asset is not just her physical or athleticTarrah sounds like a typical pre-adolescent girl when Tarrah acknowledges its a bit bizarre for adult runnersability. Its her mental tenacity, says Jason.you tato see an elementary school student competing alongsidePart of our job is to manage her and say its about thelk to her on the phone.But theres nothingthem in a half-marathon. But runners at the Toronto raceexperience. Its about achieving, long term. typical about a 12-year-old lining up