Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the fastest person in the world? What would it be like to be able to say that you could out run any other person? There are a lot of fast people in the world, but only one person is the fastest. Could you imagine being that person? Imagine what that would feel like: You’d crouch down, get your stance ready, and then with a burst of energy propel yourself forward. The wind would fly across your face so forcefully that tears would begin to run down the side of your face - your legs dancing across the ground. Bystanders would surely stand with jaw-dropping expressions, as you raced by, an indistinguishable blur. 

Of course I’ve never felt this incredible speed (I was a mediocre high school track athlete)… the closest I’ve come to experiencing such a rush came when I decided to drive with my head stuck outside my car window. 

While most people, like me, can only envision what it would be like to have that raw explosive ability, one recently graduated college student, Allyson Felix, need not imagine. In a few months Felix will be able to say that she is the best, the fastest in the world. She’s competing at the upcoming Beijing Olympics; her eye is on the gold.

In 2004 she placed 2nd in the 200 meter dash. The bittersweet second place finish came at the hands of the famed Jamaican, Veronica Campbell-Brown. Brown’s going to be a tough competitor to beat. Just last year Brown was ranked number one in the world. 

I’d still put my money on Felix though – if for no other reason than a biological one. Felix is 22. Brown’s an old bag… a whopping 26 years old! The body naturally peaks at 23, and then starts a steady decline… until you die. What’s that mean for Brown? Well, let’s just say she better watch her back.