We first met L'Mio Edwards in the summer of 2020 when she was nominated as KNX Hero of the Week for starting a 5K-a-day fundraising effort to help those impacted by the pandemic.
Now a senior at Claremont High School, 17-year-old Edwards caught up with KNX Hero producer Heather Jordan to share what she is working on next.
L'Mio EdwardsGreg Smotherman from Smotherman Images
Edwards, an award-winning long-distance runner, said her goal is to host a track meet next year that will highlight the academic aspect of being a scholar-athlete.
Each runner will be gifted a set of track spikes, but to receive them, "They'd have to write an essay on a historical minority figure," Edwards said, and those essays would then be put into a book, with a new volume added every year.
For Edwards, it's all about encouraging the next generation of student-athletes who, like her, feel underrepresented in the world.
She said, "It's super important for kids my age and the generations coming up to be able to see themselves in books, to be able to see themselves in the media and think, 'wow, somebody else before me accomplished something. I'm actually worthy of doing something just as good, if not greater.'"
L'Mio EdwardsGreg Smotherman from Smotherman Images
Edwards' community outreach doesn't end there; she is also a member of the Miss Diamond Bar Court, a scholarship pageant emphasizing community service. She said, "As part of the court, I get to interact with a lot of council members, meet the youth, and overall just be a more active member in my community."
As for her running career, Edwards continues a record of excellence, coming off a big win - taking first place in the spring CIF Division 1 800m.
This fall, Edwards is set to run in the CIF cross-country competition, and she says to keep an eye out for her name at the L.A. 2028 Olympics.
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