MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Kyle Watkins is your average eight year old.
"I play Wii and kickball mostly."
Well, average until you get him on a track.
"I like the cool breeze when I run and when I run sometimes it feels like I'm floating," said Watkins.
Even at his young age, Kyle has established himself as one of the best athletes in the Grand Strand. Something that was apparent to his coaches the moment they saw him.
"The first practice when we were warming up he was always in front and he did what he was supposed to do before I had to ask him to do it," said Myrtle Beach Track & Field Club Head Coach, Trey Bell.
While assistant coach Bratton Fennell added, "Kids will say I don't want to do it, I want to stop. Kyle never complains, he goes out there and wants to do the next one. He says what do I need to do to win?"
And win Kyle has, the eight-year old who goes to Carolina Forest Elementary, won the national championship in the 800-meter during last month's U.S. Youth Track and Field Championships.
"With national championships you never know because there's always some kid that seems to come out of nowhere, and it just happened to be him," said Bell.
Despite his success, Kyle remains level headed while blowing past the competition.
"I really don't say anything," he continued, "I kind of just look at them a little and then go right past them."
This young athlete is someone to keep an eye on, because the sky is certainly the limit.
"He's a prodigy and his work ethic, if he can keep up what he's doing now, nothing is going to hold him back," said Bell.
Fennell added, "I can still barely outrun him in the drills, but not much longer."
Most importantly Kyle says he will continue to run because it's one of his favorite things to do.
"Track is one of my favorite sports and I want to keep on doing it, and doing it and doing it."
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