Jurnei Banks is 9, and her mother says she regularly competes against athletes who are older than she is.
She "is not afraid of a challenge," her mother, Charla Craddock, wrote in answer to our questions.
This month the girl from The Colony is up against young athletes in a national contest. Jurnei is competing in Youth Athlete of the Year, a contest hosted by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, and as of Monday she was in first place in her group in the contest's group finalist round. Voting in that round closes at 10 p.m. Central time Thursday, Sept. 24.
Jurnei plays flag football, basketball and track and field. She especially enjoys basketball, her mother said, for the competition, the teamwork and the chance to test herself against other players.
"I like competing," Jurnei said. "I also like playing with my teammates and learning new things."
How the contest works
The winner receives $25,000, a spot in a national advertising campaign for Wilson's 3BRAND on CBS and in Sports Illustrated, and a one-on-one mentoring session with Wilson, according to the contest's website.
The contest is operated by Colossal on behalf of DTCare, a registered public charity, which grants the donations to the Why Not You Foundation. That foundation works on education, children's health and the fight against poverty.
Rankings are set by public votes. Each person can cast one free vote a day on an athlete's page. Additional votes come with donations, at $1 per vote.
If Jurnei advances, the contest moves on to quarterfinals, semifinals and a grand final that ends Oct. 22, her mother said. Jurnei's contest page is at athleteoftheyear.org/2026/jurnei-69da.
