A 16-year-old is turning heads in the sports world, and this kid doesn’t know how to stop. While kids his age are playing video games online, a high schooler named Quincy Wilson is preparing for an uphill battle in a race against time with people twice his size. Wilson, the Bullis High School student, broke the under-18 400-meter mark in March this year and is slated to become a rising stars in the Olympic finals.

Quincy did the 400-meter sprint in 44.59 seconds, breaking his previous record of 44.66 seconds. That minuscule difference in time is hard to beat, and sports OGs know that. The teenager’s rise to stardom has caught the attention of Olympic gold medalist Michael Norman and the NFL’s feline speedster, the Cheetah, aka Tyreek Hill.

How is Quincy Wilson a prodigy with a similar path to Tyreek Hill?

What the Miami Dolphins receiver has in common with a high schooler is their athletic career’s debut with track and field. Hill smoked people in a straight line and felt a need to spice things up, so he picked up football, where his running skills were unprecedented and the defenses couldn’t land a finger on his helmet if they tried. Maybe Quincy Wilson is on the same path, or maybe he’s not. But that won’t stop Tyreek Hill from giving him a much deserved shout-out.

The Super Bowl-winning WR took to X and namedropped Quincy Wilson by writing, “I don’t see enough people talking Quincy Wilson, bro 16 and out there competing.”

It’s not really so orthodox to see a 16-year-old competing at the highest level and crushing his way to the finals. Quincy ran so fast that he broke Justin Robinson’s 400-meter time of 44.84 seconds from 5 years ago. Robinson was dubbed a 400 prodigy when he set that benchmark. Today, that title was handed over to a teenager from Baltimore. What a milestone to achieve at this age!

But coming back to the NFL for a second, Tyreek Hill’s love for track and field is still alive to this day. He took part in the USATF in March last year and demolished his opponents. It looked like he was racing against some kids; it was an effortless win in the Cheetah’s past. But it’s not just Tyreek Hill who has eyes on this young talent that is Quincy Wilson, other respected Olympians like Michael Norman also don’t want to blink in case they miss something. Or simply put, the 16-year-old up and comer is a potential threat to his legacy.

The teenager who might just be a future Olympic torchbearer

Quincy Wilson’s success spread like wildfire and being a torchbearer in the Olympics is an opportunity that won’t be a distant dream some day. Once the wheels of his success are set in motion, who knows where his luck and hard work might take him. While there’s a lot of time for the Baltimore native to leave his mark on the world, he’s already becoming a competition for the Olympic gold medalist of 2019, Michael Norman.

Norman acknowledged the young athlete and praised his competitive spirit by saying, “It’s spectacular. A 16-year-old coming out here, competing like a true competitor, not letting the moment get too big but living in the moment.” There’s no question that Quincy Wilson is already a role model for kids his age, but when praise comes in from a gold medalist, it’s not a lighthearted affair.

Norman suddenly felt like he needed to train harder, maybe saw a competitor in the making, and added, “It’s great to see young talents like him elevate and push us to run a little faster and take us out of our comfort zone. I think he has a bright future.” But while Quincy Wilson has heard everything that’s being said about him, he chooses to keep his head straight and, most importantly, keeps a humble approach to his future.

“I’m just running for my life out there. The race plan went out the window. (Monday) I have a lot of things I can do to improve myself,” Wilson said.

“I’m in the world’s biggest final coming up (Monday). At 16 years old, I’m ecstatic right now. …It’s one of the happiest days of my life.” While kids his age are busy with gaming and watching their favorite Twitch streamer, this young boy has decided to take the road less traveled. A high-risk, high-reward situation that might propel him to new heights in his career. For now, people will have to wait and see how far Wilson’s career takes him.