Middle Georgia track team sending nearly 40 to Junior Olympics

FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – By now I’m sure you know the Olympics start in August.. but you may not know several Junior Olympians live right here in middle Georgia.

Nearly 40 boys and girls from Intensity Athletics, an Amateur Athletic Union affiliated track team based in Houston County, have qualified for the national competition next month. They’ll travel to Humble, Texas to compete after posting solid performances at Regionals.

“When I got done running on the 4 [hundred] and 8, my mom surprised me and just picked me up and said, ‘You made it to Junior Olympics!'” Aidan Cole says.

That was the case for Cole, who qualified in two events. Another multi-event qualifier wasn’t so shocked.

“I technically kind of knew I was going to make at least one of them,” Logan James says. “And both of them wasn’t a big surprise to me.”

The team has grown in numbers in each of the last three years. It’s also sent more and more athletes to the Junior Olympics.

In 2014, 14 went. Last year, 18. This year’s group of 38 is the most in team history.

“It takes everybody’s individual efforts to make that happen,” says Hoy Thurman III, the head coach. “So the biggest thing I encourage is for them to get their PRs–we call it, personal records –and if that gets you up on the podium. If it doesn’t, at least you’ve accomplished something.”

Who knows? We might just see one of these kids in Tokyo in 2020.

“That’s what I’m heading for,” says Levie Moss. That’s what I want to do, because I’m trying to push to become the fastest man in the world.”

The team leaves for Texas next week.

If you’d like to help fund the trip, Thurman’s family has set up a GoFundMe site for their sons. If you’d like to donate to the entire team, specify that when you make the payment.