Ruff takes gold in Down Under competition
By Michael Johnson, Editor
Jacob Ruff isn’t one to say no to the chance of a lifetime. When he got the letter in the mail to compete in a sport at the Down Under Bowl in Australia about six months ago, he thought things over and with the support of his parents, Kelli and Clayton, he couldn’t say no. Down Under Sports provides a chance for athletes from America to fly to Australia and compete with other athletes. Once done with competition, the athletes can tour Australia and take a three-day trip to Hawaii for further site-seeing. While most any athlete in many of the most popular sports is eligible to go to the Down Under Sports and compete, Ruff was selected for a chance because of a coach from the University of Mary. The coach wrote a letter of recommendation after trying to get Ruff to sign on at the University of Mary because of his track running abilities. Ruff knew he would have to raise nearly $5,000 to make the trip and so he began sending letters, looking for support. He asked many folks and he even worked for some to earn the funds. He was overwhelmed by support from the community and others who helped pay for the trip, something he is very thankful for.
