Jonathan Owens flew to Paris and witnessed the excitement of the Olympics up close. Meanwhile, despite being a rising NFL star, another athlete’s brother didn’t get to see his sister’s medal-winning performance in person. This contrast highlighted the highs and lows of supporting loved ones on the global stage. On August 3, a 30-year-old track and field star won Dominica’s first Olympic medal—a gold in the triple jump. Her brother heard the good news while at football practice. He was ecstatic but regretted not being there for her.

Simone Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, witnessed her victory at the Paris Olympics. He posted on X, “Just another reminder that my wife is THE SH** 🔥🥇.” In contrast, Dominica’s historic win happened without the star athlete’s brother supporting her. She won with a third-round jump in the final competition, the only woman to surpass 15 meters. Despite this incredible achievement, she missed having her brother there, which was unfortunate.

Support from afar: One athlete’s joy and another’s regret in the city of lights

Wade Alberts, a former athlete and director of Sports Science & 7-12 Physical Education at Ainsworth Community Schools, recently re-shared a video clip of Andrew Siciliano on Twitter. He captioned it, “Coach couldn’t let him watch his sister compete in the Olympic Games while it was on live? So much for preaching ‘Family’.” “Hey, your sister just won a gold medal,” said the coach of Navy defensive end Chreign LaFond as his sister bagged the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Alberts’ comment reflected his disagreement with the fact that while Jonathan Owens from the same football team got permission to cheer for his wife, LaFond didn’t get the same opportunity to support his sister. It was a big day for her and a proud moment for Dominica, as it was their first gold. After her victory, she told Olympics.com, “The victory was absolutely beyond my wildest dreams. We always said it takes one jump. The second jump at Indoor Worlds was the big one. The second jump outdoors at the Olympics was the big one, that’s what it took.” She also thanked God for the rain, believing it benefited her performance.

As the first game of the 2024 season draws closer, Navy Football heads into the weekend with practice still going on in Maryland every day. The hot and humid climate at these times usually produces a tired team that cannot perform well. Despite this, the Midshipmen coach, Brian Berry, could have enjoyed a brief break from practice and let LaFond attend his sister’s victorious journey, but he did not. All he could do was continue practice while the coach called LaFond and shared the good news.

After getting the message, LaFond was mobbed by his teammates, shouting, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” While Thea LaFond competed at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it was the first time that Dominica won a medal in track and field. However, while the high-profile NFL player was able to fly to Paris to attend his wife’s game, LaFond could not afford to do the same for his sister due to his professional commitments.

Thea LaFond’s performance stunned the audience at the Paris Olympics

In the women’s triple jump at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Thea went for gold and jumped as far as she could to get it. She set a national record by jumping 15.02 meters, leaving Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts behind, who managed to get silver by jumping 14.87 meters, which was also her best effort of the year. Team USA’s Jasmine Moore performed a season-best 14.67 meters to win the bronze medal. After making history, she shared her pride in becoming Dominica’s first Olympic medalist with Olympics.com.

She said that every time she steps on the track, bearing the flag and being Dominican is an honor. Representing a country with only 70,000 people and winning their first gold medal was a huge honor. She emphasized, “In all things, give thanks.” This victory was incredibly special to her. At Maryland, Thea LaFond finished in the top ten in the women’s high jump and triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2013. The following year, in 2014, she was awarded field athlete of the year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Mid-Atlantic Branch.

In 2015, her senior season with a year remaining on her eligibility, she was Big 10 Field Athlete of The Year. In March, she won a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships for the triple jump and again an Olympic gold. After this win, she knew that her country would celebrate her medal for a long time, as she said to the Washington Post, “Oh, God, my country is never going to stop partying, are they?” with a smile. Her achievements have brought pride to Dominica and set the stage for a new era in the nation’s athletic history. Who knows what heights she’ll reach next?