Suffolk News-Herald

Travis Fowler of Suffolk recently returned from the Junior Olympics where he brought home a couple of medals including a gold for his skills

Although he’s spent most of the summer mowing lawns, the Forest Glen Middle School eighth-grader recently traveled to Dearborn, Mich., to participate in a national clogging competition.

Earlier this summer, Fowler and partner, Lindsey Skeen of Norfolk, who were accompanied by clogging instructor Donna Riley, won multiple awards in the AAU Junior Olympics Clogging Contest.

Fowler brought home the bronze medal in a pairs clogging duet with Skeen, and he brought home the gold for his &uot;Flatfoot Solo&uot; in the 13-15 age division. He also received a silver for the &uot;Overall Flatfoot Solo&uot; within his age group.

Fowler learned to unite the art of dance with the athletics of clogging from Riley, his instructor with the Peanut City Cloggers. He and Skeen qualified to compete after winning a Junior Olympics competition in Maggie Valley, N.C., earlier this year.

&uot;Dance has always been a part of the Olympics, but this is the first year that clogging was included in the competition,&uot; said Fowler. &uot;Lindsay and I worked hard to win as the only Virginia cloggers in the 2003 Junior Olympics Games.

&uot;We were honored to have won,&uot; he continued. &uot;We were very proud to represent our team as we danced at the Ford Performing Arts building. It is something we will never forget.&uot;

An aspiring farmer, Fowler is hoping to attend Virginia Tech to study agriculture.

Fowler is the son of George and Sylvia Fowler of Suffolk, and 14-year old Skeen is the daughter of Dickie and Nancy Skeen of Norfolk. She is a student at Friends School.

Fowler said clogging with the Peanut City Cloggers is great fun and good exercise. Anyone interested is checking out the Peanut City Cloggers should call Fowler, 539-2214, or visit the clogging organization at the Bethlehem Ruritan Clubhouse on Manning Road.