The athlete from the British Virgin Islands is counting down the hours until she joins her country’s delegation and takes part in the continent’s most important multi-sport event for young people. After winning the gold medal at the Under-20 World Championships in Lima, her goals are to perform at her best and enjoy the competition in Asunci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n
When Adaejah Hodge steps onto a track, she transforms. She is a happy, motivated girl who runs from side to side without worries or fears. Although she is 19 years old, her spirit and outlook on life are those of a cheerful little girl who enjoys life.<\/p>\n
Perhaps that is the key to her success in her short sporting career, having achieved so much: champion in the 200m and silver medalist in the 100m at the 2024 Under-20 World Championships in Lima; semifinalist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest; and semifinalist at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.<\/p>\n
She started athletics at a very young age, motivated by her mother, a physical education teacher, and by a particular accident she had when she was only 5 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI lost my two front teeth when I was little. I was running, tripped over a rock, and fell, losing my teeth long before they were ready to come out. That’s a memory that will always stay with me and the reason why I continue to run to this day. My mother enrolled me in athletics, and I’ve been running ever since,\u201d says Adaejah.<\/p>\n
Now based in Georgia, USA, where she studies and trains, she is preparing for her first Junior Pan American Games in Asunci\u00f3n, Paraguay. Between training and classes, she took some time to talk to Panam Sports about her life and her participation in ASU2025.<\/p>\n
What does athletics mean to you?<\/strong> Today you are on the verge of representing your country at ASU 2025, but you have also been chosen as Team Panam Sports Ambassador…<\/strong> The Team Panam Sports slogan is \u201cThe Power of the New Generation.\u201d What does that mean to you?<\/strong> What are your goals for ASU2025?<\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The athlete from the British Virgin Islands is counting down the hours […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":29866,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news_sports":[199],"class_list":["post-29867","news-sport","type-news-sport","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news_sports-team-panam-sports-2"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u201cAthletics means a lot to me because it has given me many opportunities that I never thought I would have, such as going to the Olympic Games in Paris, going to the World Championships in Budapest, seeing places in the world that I never thought I would see.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYes, and I am very happy and proud. It means a lot to me to be an ambassador for Team Panam Sports because it shows that all my effort is paying off, and all the work I have put in on the track is being seen by other people, not just by me and my family. I am very grateful to Panam Sports for this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Power of the New Generation is a great motto, not just for me, but for everyone in this generation, because I feel that older generations say we are lazy and that we simply cannot do what they did. I just want to prove that I can succeed and achieve my goals, and the slogan simply encourages others to be greater and better than previous generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMy goals for the Junior Pan American Games are simply to go out there, have fun, and enjoy my sport. Many people get caught up in times and performance. Obviously, I want to perform well, but the main goal is to enjoy this experience to the fullest.\u201d<\/p>\n