Spelling bee champ and Guinness World Record holder Zaila Avant-garde was named the 2021 SportsKid of the Year. 14-year-old, Avant-garde has undoubtedly embraced her last name, pursuing her larger-than-life talents such as winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee, setting multiple world records for dribbling, and being an elite basketball player leading her to be honored with a front-page spread on by Sports Illustrated Kids. The Louisiana native is a walking dictionary, innovator, and creative. The Scripps National Spelling Bee champ has read more than 1,000 books and has set multiple world records for dribbling basketball. This year's spelling bee took place in Orlando, FL, where Avant-garde outlasted ten other finalists, winning on the word " Murraya ," becoming the first African-American contestant to win. "It's kind of bittersweet for me," Zaila says. "I'm super happy to be the first African-American girl to win. But also it's like, this should not be happening. I should...
