Dr. Philip Neely, Career Law Enforcement Officer, recalls how running track saved him from criminal behavior.

When Dr. Neely was two years old, his father was locked away in prison and his mother passed away. Raised by his grandmother who was raising a dozen children of her own, young Philip spent his childhood surrounded by the devastating impact of drugs and alcohol on a family.

After numerous run-ins with the police, as well as poor school attendance and brushes with juvenile detention, young Philip's life begins to change after Winfred Jordan, his childhood friend, encourages him to join the high school track team, At that point, things begin to change. Earning a scholarship to a Division III school, Neely spends three years winning numerous track awards before leaving school to study law enforcement. A life long learner, Neely returns to school in subsequent years and builds a stellar career in law enforcement he could hardly have imagined as  ...