Zaila Avant-Garde is a teen from Louisiana who is doing amazing things in all areas of life!
In 2021, at 14 years old, she won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the first African American champion in the history of the competition.
This is extra impressive because she only started spelling competitively a few years earlier. Most winners start as young children. She practiced for seven hours a day leading up to the Bee!
That same year, she was named Sports Illustrated's SportsKid of the Year!
She is also an excellent basketball player, and holds several Guinness World Records related to the game: most bounce juggles with three balls in a minute, most bounce juggles with four balls in a minute, and most bounces with four balls in 30 seconds.
She is also tied for the record of most balls dribbled simultaneously: six.
In addition, Zaila has written several books, including "Words Are Magic" and "It's Not Bragging If It's True"
Plus, she learned how to ride a unicycle while dribbling basketballs just for an extra challenge.
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