Over the weekend, I was impressed by Mayfield junior cross country runner Waed Eid.
She finished third in the Cleveland Running Company Invitational at South High School.
What was most impressive wasn't her time of 20:22 (a personal record).
It was the determination with which she ran the race.
Eid, a Muslim, spent a month fasting during Ramadan. The morning of the race, she got up at 4:30 a.m. to eat and drink with her family. Following the race, she could not drink a drop of water due to her religious beliefs. She also couldn't use her inhaler for asthma. In fact, she couldn't do either until the sun set later that night.
While interviewing her, Eid said something that struck me.
"People complain about the smallest things," she said. "It's just like you are so fortunate to have the smallest things. For me to be able to do this has taught me so much."
What an insightful teenager.
Eid is realizing at an early age how important the simplest things in life are such as a cool drink of water, having the freedom to practice her religion in a country that embraces all religions and having caring family, friends, teammates and coaches in her life.
She appreciates it all.
It takes some people a lifetime to get to where Eid is currently at in her life.
She is standing up for what she believes in, even when the path she has chosen in life isn't an easy one.
I admire her.
To see Eid explain her beliefs in her own words, watch the video below:

-Theresa Neuhoff Audia