“Surrounded by Right People”: Grant Holloway’s Family, Overwhelmed With Pride, Speak on Paris Olympics Journey

Coming from a close-knit family in Chesapeake, Virginia, Grant Holloway wants to leave a mark on his kids. He lost his stepfather, Bunny, a few years ago. However, through the mark Bunny left in his life, Grant Holloway keeps remembering him. He wants the same suit for his kids and thinks his victory in the Paris Olympics can be that mark. But to earn the podium in the French capital, Grant needs to clear the initial barriers.

On that point, the athlete’s family thinks Grant may not have an issue with fulfilling the target he is eyeing. On July 28, Grant Holloway’s family and coach Mike Holloway witnessed the standout’s performance in the ongoing trials. The aftermath reaction came out of something in the family values, the component Grant takes pride in. 

Grant Holloway’s family stands together, cheering together 

On June 28, Hayward Field erupted in joy watching Grant Holloway, scaring the 110m hurdles world record. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old took a stunning 12.86 seconds to confirm his berth in the flight to the Paris Olympics. With that, he cruised to the top-4 in the 110m hurdles record book. Naturally, in every way, the performance was nothing less than a memorable one. 

However, his father, Stan Holloway, did not doubt Grant to give such a showdown on the track beforehand. Rather, he said, “As long as he surrounded by right people,… No matter what, he’s going to do great things.” Now when we’re talking about Grant’s family, Stan Holloway has another identity in Grant’s life, apart from being the parent. 

He was the first person to teach the American athlete tidbits of track. So when in the same conversation he said, “Practice like you’ve never won, and run like you’ve never lost”, things proved to be the same for Grant Holloway. His record says that he has not seen any ranking apart from the top 3 in his post-Tokyo-Olympics 110m hurdle events. Even while making his journey to the Tokyo Olympics, the phenom had no heartbreak. But only in the final, three years ago, he had to bow his head to take something lesser than a gold, ultimately a silver medal. But now things will change. 

The reason was said by his mother, Latasha. Expressing her rejoice, the proud mother said, “He’s surrounded by the right people to make that happen…Paris, here we come.” This satisfaction echoed in Grant’s present coach, Mike Holloway’s, voice as well. Keeping the technical part in mind, the veteran coach added, “it’s getting there so I’m really proud of him.” For Grant Holloway, the journey is all about having fun with the tracks and his closer ones. 

The legacy means having an all-around fun 

Before his collegiate years, Grant Holloway had the chance to grab a pricey offer from the NFL and live with high numbers in his purse. But he walked the other way and chose a track to live through. The sport binds him with the fun and with all those memories that he has been living since his childhood. Ultimately, that fun might help him in writing his legacy. The world champion thinks that. 

In one of his interviews with the Olympics. com, he explained, “I realised that to have fun with this sport, you have to be loose, you have to enjoy what you do. That’s one of the parts of my legacy that I’m going to be able to leave. It’s great to have fun with what you love to do.” Meanwhile, he remembers that he has to wash the taste of the Tokyo Olympics left on his tongue.

The sour experience kept him awake in his many leisurely moments. Now, he does not want a repeat of that. His voice remained firm when he said, “I never want to have that feeling again.” Does that mean a top podium finish in Paris? Did Grant Holloway’s mother confirm that already?