She's a Houston girl who has made Houston proud!
Whether it was winning six national titles in college or winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Raevyn Rogers has always run with her heart. KPRC2's Keith Garvin spent some time with her as she pursued gold in Paris and returned home to be honored by the community she loves.
Rogers recently won the TSU relay, where she still holds the high school girls 800 meter record, and the Paris-bound prospect has had an impressive resume since her days at the Kincaid School.
“This is an opportunity for me to come back home and connect with the community,” Rogers said. “Obviously, the TSU Relays is special to me. TSU is where my grandparents met, so to me this is like a family reunion.”
Lavin's community came together during her race at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. In the race known as “The Kick,” Lavin came from nearly last in the women's 800 meters to cross the finish line with the bronze medal.
“After the curve, I just started thinking, 'How many girls can I catch?'” she recalled. “I remember around the 50-meter mark thinking maybe I could get third place and maybe even get a bronze medal because it was my mom's birthday. So I gave it a go, and I'm glad I did it.”
Lavin will be aiming for another medal in Paris. Her chance to qualify comes in less than two weeks at the Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon in Eugene. It's familiar ground for Lavin, the place where she won six collegiate national titles and where she was the first female Duck to have her silhouette adorned on the 10-story tower outside the track and field stadium.
As she continues to train for another shot at Olympic gold, Lavin knows where her heart is.
“I'm always going to aim for the gold medal. I'm always going to train hard and do my best,” she said. “I'm a winner. I'm a champion.”
Houston will be in Paris cheering on Ravyn and her tight-knit group of family and friends, led by her mother, Rhonda, who call themselves “Ravyn's Nest,” and many of them plan to cheer her on in Paris, but first at the Olympic Trials in Oregon, which begin June 21. All of the finals will be broadcast live here on KPRC2.
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