Wind blowing, sweat dripping down, heavy panting comes from Conor Bibb and Charlie Stinson, two sophomores at Bowie High School who have qualified for the steeple chase and high jump at the Junior Olympics in the summer of 2024. The event will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina.
As time went by, the two athletes advanced to the Junior Olympics making family and friends proud.
“I started cross country in middle school because I realized I was better at it then football and one of my friends told me to join his track club so that’s why I started running,” Bibb said.
The athletes like how the coaches aren’t as strict on them. Making it easier to compete without stress and much pressure.
“The coaches are not hard on you, they’re actually really laid back when we’re in the season,” Stinson said. “The coaches are nice and they just let me do my own thing as long as I do good.”
According to the students, having support from close friends and family members makes them feel proud of themselves and even more confident.
“My dad is probably my biggest supporter,” Bibb said. “It makes me feel good knowing I have someone watching me compete and accomplish my goals.”
Bibb isn’t the only one getting support from family.
“My biggest supporters are my parents and my friends like Marrell,” Stinson said. “Having support from loved ones help a lot, my mom motivates me a lot and she gets on me when I mess up. It’s a great feeling to do good things while having the support.”
Feeling nervous before the big run, Bibb finds a way to stay calm.
“To make my self feel less nervous, I just tell myself to have fun and not worry too much about the race,” Bibb said.
Bibb is not alone when feeling nervous before a big run.
“To make myself feel calm for Junior Olympics instead of ignoring the nervousness of a big stage I embraced it,” Stinson said. “I’ve told myself that even though it’s a huge stage, I have so many people traveling to see me and I cannot disappoint.”
Stinson’s mom, Marissa Grambley, is extremely proud of her son for making the Junior Olympics.
“I was so proud of Charlie when he qualified for the Junior Olympics. He had trained hard all summer in the heat multiple times a week,” Grambley said. “He competed at several different meets as well and it was amazing to see him improve over the summer. It is something I think we’ll remember forever.”
Making it to the Junior Olympics can put pressure on the athletes to keep making strides to almost perfection. According to researchers, athletics who thrive under pressure, focus on succeeding more.
“My goal is to just go back and race there again because I am moving up to 16-17 age group,” Bibb said.
Stinson has some big goals in mind as well. He isn’t the only one reaching far and having big dreams.
“My goal for next year is to be six feet and five inches and to make New Balance or Nike Outdoor National,” Stinson said. “New Balance Nationals and Nike Outdoor Nationals are the hardest to make, you have to be ranked like top-15 in the country. Nike Nationals are in Oregon on their track and New Balance Nationals are in Philadelphia. They are the hardest to make because it’s mixed ages, it’s 15 and 16 together and 17 and 18 together so I would be on the young side.”
