Meet Kid of the Year 2021 Nominee Lino Marrero
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| LUPE ZAPATA—SPECTRUM NEWS |
Who will become Kid of the Year for 2021? The answer will be revealed on February 9 during a TV special on Nickelodeon. In the days leading up to the show, Time For Kids will be introducing the top five nominees. Read on!
Lino Marrero, 14, of Frisco, Texas, was on the soccer field when inspiration hit. During a break in practice, Lino discovered that his smartphone was dead. He recalled a lesson in school on kinetic energy. That’s the energy produced by an object in motion, the way a kick causes a soccer ball to move. Lino thought, “What if I could transfer the energy I wasted on the field and put it in my phone to charge it?”
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| SPORTS FAN It’s important to Lino to stay active. Sports have inspired some of his best ideas. SOUTHERN IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY |
That eureka moment led Lino to invent the Kinetic Kickz 2.0. It’s something like a rechargeable battery that fits into the sole of a shoe. It collects energy generated from walking. This energy can then be used to power portable devices.
Lino says the technology could be more efficient and less expensive than other sources of renewable energy, like wind and solar. He told Spectrum News 1, in Texas: “The Kinetic Kickz 2.0 taps into human kinetic energy as a new, clean alternative-energy source.”
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| COURTESY MARRERO FAMILY |
A device like this could change everyday life for many people. “All around the world, there [are] people who don’t have access to electricity,” Lino says. “Being able to even light up a little lightbulb on their ceiling would make a big difference.”
Lino won an Inventor Communication Award and an Industry Innovation Award at the Invention Convention U.S. Nationals 2019. He went on to place first in the grades-6-to-8 category at the Invention Convention Globals, held virtually in 2021.
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| WORLD CHAMP Lino’s charger won a top prize at the Invention Convention Globals 2021. COURTESY MARRERO FAMILY |
A Natural Inventor
Lino came up with his first invention when he was in fourth grade. He was playing the cello, and he was having trouble. “A lot of people quit their stringed instruments because of calluses and blisters that make it painful to play,” he says. The solution was the String Ring. It’s an adjustable band that protects the fingers as they move along the strings of an instrument. It won first place in a state competition. Now Lino’s developing a String Ring for guitar players.
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| BIG WIN Lino has also won awards for sports. This medal is for a tennis tournament. COURTESY MARRERO FAMILY |
“It’s usually been about helping other people, for me,” Lino says about inventing. The ninth grader encourages others to see their everyday problems as opportunities to come up with ideas for inventions, too. “Kids are better inventors than grown-ups, at times,” because they can be more creative, Lino says. “I just want to inspire more people to want to become inventors and help change the world.”
Tune into the brand new Kid of the Year special, simulcasting across Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT)! Click HERE for more information!
From Just Jared Jr.:
Dude Perfect Surprise Top 5 Nominee Lino Marrero In 'Kid of the Year' Exclusive Clip - Watch Now!
We have an exclusive clip from the upcoming 2022 TIME’s Kid of the Year special!
In the video, YouTube group Dude Perfect surprise one of this year’s honorees Lino Marrero.
The guys brought in Lino and had him hit a tennis ball at a banner, which then revealed that he made it to the top five!
Lino is an innovator and award-winning inventor who has combined his love of sports with the desire to create practical, cool and eco-friendly devices. He recently invented the Kinetic Kickz 2.0, a shoe insert that can charge devices using energy that is generated from inside the sole of a shoe, charging as the wearer walks through the use of kinetic energy. The device has won at both regional and national competitions, and he hopes to continue inventing devices that can take advantage of this clean energy source.
This year’s Kid of the Year special will once again be hosted by Trevor Noah, with appearances from Charli D’Amelio, Jabari Banks, Scarlett Johansson, Meghan Trainor, Charles Melton and more.
The Kid Committee includes Nickelodeon stars Alaya That Girl Lay Lay High, Dylan “Young Dylan” Gilmer and A Loud House Christmas‘ Wolfgang Schaeffer.
Among the top five honorees are Lino, Cash Daniels, Mina Fedor, Samirah Horton and Orion Jean.
The winner selected as TIME Kid of the Year, will be featured on the cover of TIME and in additional coverage in TIME For Kids.
Kid of the Year will air TOMORROW (February 9) at 7:30pm ET/PT on Nickelodeon!
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More Nick: Nickelodeon and TIME Announce Top Five Honorees and Finalists for Second Annual Kid of the Year!
Based on an original article by Ellen Nam for TIME for Kids.
Originally published: February 04, 2022.
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