34-year-old Wesley Kitts will lead Team USA’s final bid to earn weightlifting gold in Paris. Sixty-one-kilogram phenom Hampton Morris has already etched his name in the history books by winning the first Olympic weightlifting medal for Team USA in men’s weightlifting since 1984. However, the 102-kilogram weightlifter, Kitts, is determined to end his team’s quest for gold while honoring his father in the process.

Kitts lost his number-one fan when he was only 21. The Olympian wasn’t yet a weightlifter when his father lost his battle with lung cancer at just 48. However, the Pan-Am champion’s father was the one who nurtured his son’s ambitions in sports. Today, the former Austin Peay footballer hopes to honor the man who made it possible for him to represent the USA on the world stage.

Wesley Kitts recalled being heartbroken after his father’s passing. “I don’t know if I ever dealt with it at all,” the Olympic weightlifter told WBIR-TV ahead of the Paris Olympics. “Just talking to him after a game was always the best. If I had a good showing, it’d be cool just to talk after,” recalled the weightlifter. So in a way, earning an Olympic medal would serve as a sort of closure.

At 34, age is not on the Knoxville native’s side. Winning Olympic gold in Paris would embody the faith Kitts’ father had in him until his dying day. However, that’s not his only motivation to succeed. “Representing Team USA is one of the greatest honors,” the former NCAA athlete told ASPU athletics.

Breaking a gold medal drought that’s lasted for over half a century also motivates the 102-kilogram competitor. However, Wesley Kitts will have to make up a lot of ground in Paris. The weightlifter made his Olympic debut in Tokyo and finished in eighth place. At this point, you may be wondering why an Olympic athlete made his debut at 31.

How football helped Wesley Kitts get to the Olympics

Unlike fellow teammates such as 20-year-old bronze medalist Hampton Morris, Kitts didn’t discover his passion for weightlifting until after his father’s passing. Kitts played football for the Austin Peay Governors from 2008 to 2012. His father cheered the Olympian every step of the way as he showcased his athleticism on the field.

His experience in the sport helped Kitts rise to an elite level in weightlifting despite starting late. “In football, I was already doing really tough workouts with the team. I got used to what it felt like to be with the team, and what it felt like to work hard in a weight room. All my hardest workouts will forever be the ones I did as a football player,” explained the Olympian.

However, for Team USA’s final hope for an Olympic gold medal in weightlifting, Kitts will need to beat defending champion Akbar Djuraev. Do you think Wesley Kitts will succeed in honoring his father and earning gold in Paris? Tell us in the comments.