High school cross country runner Codie Thacker spent
months training for a big regional race in Kentucky
only to drop out at the last minute.
The reason: The 16-year-old was assigned the number
“666″ for the race.
As religious devotees and heavy metal fans are well
aware of, “666″ is considered the number of the
beast in the Bible, and Thacker didn’t want to risk her
faith just to compete.
“I didn’t want to risk my relationship with God and try
to take that number,” Thacker said, according to
AZCentral.com.
Gina Croley, Thacker’s cross country coach, sensed the
junior might have problems wearing this particular
number.
“I saw it and I was like, ‘whoa,’” she said, according to
WLEX-TV. ”I don’t think she will wear that number.”
Croley tried to get the number changed, but officials
for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
denied the request. At that point, Thacker decided
not to compete.
“Whenever I didn’t get to do it, of course, I was upset,
because I’d trained all season for it. But in another
sense I stood up for my beliefs and I stood up for
God,” Thacker said, according to WKYT-TV.
A spokesperson for the KHSAA said that race
officials would have granted Thacker’s request had
they been made aware it was for religious reasons,
UPI.com reported.
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