 
in 1967 a city-sponsored group called youth in action held a track meet at 
the boys" high school field in brooklyn, new york. 
because she had nothing better to do that day, thirteen-year-old cheryl 
toussaint went to watch the meet. 
sitting in the stands with her friends, cheryl found it all very exciting: 
the speed of the sprinting girls, the yells and cheers of the spectators, the 
highly charged atmosphere of noise, tension, and fun. 
while the meet officials were arranging the order of final events, an 
"open" race for girls was announced. 
that meant that any girl present could come to the starting line and 
compete even if she didn"t belong to a track team. 
cheryl loved to run, on the street, in the school yard, or in the local 
playground, and she wanted to enter. 
still, she hesitated. 
the girls she had been watching in the meet looked so fast. 
cheryl's friends urged her to give it a try. 
"go ahead, don"t be chicken," they teased. 
and when one said, "i dare you," cheryl accepted the challenge. 
she was wearing a dress and a pair of sandals, hardly suitable clothing 
for a race, so a friend who was wearing sneakers swapped footgear with cheryl. 
