LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Our hopes and dreams can change over time.
Sometimes, we find something else we like, or circumstances force us to think outside the box.
A senior at Lafayette High School was born in Congo, moved to Uganda, and now has set records on the high school's cross-country team.
"So he came out with the idea he was going to be a sprinter because his best friend was a sprinter," said Caleb Joy, the Lafayette cross country coach.
"Only thing I'd do there was just playing soccer," said James Ndayishimiye. "Running wasn't a thing."
He came to the United States in 2015.
"Congo has been in a political unrest and genocide since 1996," Joy said.
Joy says Ndayishimiye's dad passed away in the transition from Congo over to Uganda.
"James played soccer his entire life," Joy said. "From the moment he moved over to the United States, soccer has always been his outlet."
That recently changed. High school coaches thought he could have even more success running track and cross country. Joy recalls a recent 10-mile run, where Ndayishimiye dominated. Joy says the community has been helpful as far as any necessary equipment.
"He comes out with an old pair of soccer flats with holes in them, and we went and got to it straight away," Joy said.
It's not even that he has joined a team — he has excelled. He's a city and region cross country champion, holding multiple school records, including a 4:16 mile.
"From that very moment, I knew we had something pretty special," Joy said.
"Right now my goal is to win state," Ndayishimiye said.
But that's not the only goal.
"Yeah I want to go to college, do track and cross country there," he added.
There is an online fundraiser to help runners like James with any necessary equipment so they can continue to chase their dreams.
