MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – Ever since friends at school told him he was "getting too fat," Sienom Auxaire has been trying to lose weight.
His health and a crush on a girl are his motivation. The 12-year-old said he has been walking to Claude Pepper Park, 1255 NW 135 St., in North Miami every Saturday to run.
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"I lost 10 pounds running that one day, every week for a month," Sienom said while holding a bag of Oreo cookies and a can of Sprite soda. "I was in the 140s, now I'm in the 130s."
During the week, he doesn't have time to walk to the park. He walks about a block to Food City, 11800 NW 10 Ave., to buy snacks and weighs himself when he is at Publix with his mom.
On August 6, he will have Gratigny Plateau Park, 885 NW 117th St. It will be only about a block away from his home. Due to lack of funding, Miami-Dade County had not been able to develop it for years until Local 10 News stepped in.
The One and Only Local 10 News focused on crowd sourcing. A team of volunteers and donors turned the once magnet for parked cars and garbage into a space that the fifth-grader will be able to use.
Sienom said he plans on going running there every day, after finishing his homework. He is a grade behind, because he couldn't pass the FCAT in third grade. He doesn't want that to happen again.
"I'm proud and excited that I will be living next to a park," Sienom said. "I still have more weight to lose."
SPECIAL SECTION: Complete coverage of Gratigny Plateau Park