NEW YORK (AP) — Three young sisters who live in a New York City homeless shelter have earned top national track rankings and a spot in the Junior Olympics, now underway in Houston.
Tai, Rainn and Brooke Sheppard range in age from 8 to 11.
They’ve been in a shelter in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant section since last year after their single mother was evicted from her apartment.
The girls began running track after their baby sitter signed them up for a meet.
A coach from a local junior track team spotted them and began working with them.
After only 1 ½ years of training, each has qualified for the Junior Olympics in multiple events.
Their mother hopes their success on the track will one day lead to college scholarships and a better life.
In this July 11, 2016 photo, Tai Sheppard, 11, Brooke Sheppard, 8, and Rainn Sheppard, 10, left to right, run warm-up laps at Boys and Girls High School, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Every morning, the three young sisters wake up together with their mom in one bed in a Brooklyn homeless shelter. Every afternoon, they train in a sport that they hope will put them on a path to a better life. The girls have blossomed since taking up track and field just a year and a half ago, rising to the top tier of their national age-group rankings and earning a spot in the Junior Olympic Games, now underway in Houston. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
In this July 11, 2016 photo, Tai Sheppard, 11, practices hurdles at Boys and Girls High School, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Every morning, Tai and her two young sisters wake up together with their mom in one bed in a Brooklyn homeless shelter. Every afternoon, they train in a new found sport that they hope will put them on a path to a better life. The girls have blossomed since taking up track and field just a year and a half ago, rising to the top tier of their national age-group rankings and earning a spot in the Junior Olympic Games, now underway in Houston. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
In this Wednesday, July 20, 2016 photo, Tonia Handy, far left, sits near the track during an interview as her daughters Rainn Sheppard, 10, second from left, and Brooke Sheppard, 8, far right, run during track practice at Boys and Girls High School in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Rainn, Brooke and their older sister Tai, 11, live in a New York City homeless shelter with Handy, yet have earned top youth track rankings and a spot in this week’s Junior Olympics. "I want their dreams to come true. And I want them to be a part of it in making it happen," said Handy. "And hard work is something they are learning right here everyday on the track." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
