Going for Gold, Waco Track Star Heading to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

A young Waco native has been chasing his dreams since he was a child, and now those dreams are closer than ever.

Growing up in a city like Waco has its pros and cons. Waco definitely isn't as small as other surrounding towns like Troy, Moody, or Bruceville-Eddy, but it's certainly not near as large as Dallas or Austin. Instead, Waco is right between - a medium size, you could say.  In Waco, the community is extremely close, and if you think everyone knows everybody, well you'd be right.

Wil London III, a Waco native himself, is aware of this tight-knit community we have, and is excited to represent the city on a global level.

Wil, age 23, is a runner, and let me tell you, he is fast! Wil and I actually attended South Waco Recreational Center's summer camp together when we were kids, and even then he was the fastest kid around.

Wil pursued his passion in track throughout the years at Tennyson Middle School, on the track team at Waco High, and eventually at Baylor University. The formerly dubbed "Lil Wil" grew stronger and faster, and on June 20, participated in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track and Field. It was then that Wil was chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

(You read that correctly: 2020 Olympics. Last summer's games were postponed, not cancelled. More information here.)

Wil is now preparing to be the first Olympian from Waco, but told our news partners at KWTX:

“I don’t really think about that, being the first, I just want to inspire the younger kids. I don’t care if I was the first second or third I’m excited to go and just represent Waco."

Pure hard work and dedication helped Wil pave a way to the Olympics, and it's vital that we continue to support his efforts and nurture the next generation's dreams as well.