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Is Bryce Hoppel's success a testament to the power of family support in sports?

“Now we get to go after the fun stuff and add some icing to the cake there over in Paris hopefully.” The 2x American Olympian Bryce Hoppel has captivated the country with his historically impressive feats. But he didn’t reach the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris alone; his successful career has been attributed to his supportive family.

Hoppel qualified for Team USA with an outstanding 800-meter performance of 1:42:77 at the Olympic Team Trials. He spoke with obvious delight, saying, “It’s kind of surreal to finally be getting into those ranks of like one of the fastest of all time.” His family, who have supported him from early dawn practices through the Olympic trials, shares this thrill.

Know all about Bryce Hoppel’s mom and dad

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Bryce’s parents, Monty and Rita Hoppel, have been a crucial part of his athletic path since the beginning. Bryce’s father stated, “The big difference is we get to go!” Monty, a loving parent and former general manager of the Midland RockHounds, eagerly anticipates the Paris Olympics for Bryce. During Tokyo 2020, there were no spectators, but now Monty and Rita are thrilled to watch Bryce perform in front of a packed stadium in Paris, which they describe as “super exciting.” They have consistently shown support by attending Bryce’s races and celebrating every accomplishment with pride.

Bryce remembers his early days in the sport with desire, highlighting his father’s commitment to his love by waking him up for training at five in the morning. However, Bryce Hoppel’s mom has been his emotional rock. Rita Hoppel remarked, “As a mom I just try to be there for him just to talk to but also big support for him, and like he said our whole family – his sisters, his brother-in-law – we just try to be there for him.” Furthermore, she has always supported him no matter what and has a listening ear when he needs it most. Bryce’s sisters and loved ones, along with Monty and Rita, make up a strong support network crucial to his success.

Meet the track star’s supportive siblings

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Megan Ochoa and Kelsey Hoppel, Bryce Hoppel’s two elder sisters, are part of his backbone circle. The two sisters spoke openly about how proud they are of Bryce and how much they feel he has accomplished. “Seeing him out there on the USA Olympic stage, I mean the world stage at that and just representing USA makes me so proud,” said Kelsey. Megan expressed similar feelings, emphasizing how awful it is to watch her brother fight at such a high level.

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Is Bryce Hoppel's success a testament to the power of family support in sports?

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Moreover, Bryce has a close relationship with his sisters, Megan and Kelsey, who both treasure their time spent with him. “Timing wise we always have a countdown, like all of us,” Ochoa stated. Bryce takes time for his family despite his hectic schedule, demonstrating how much they mean to him.

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Additionally, the siblings of Bryce also closely monitor his performance; they frequently mark the minutes till his races and take note of what he does for stress relief. “We write down the times just to see, to calm our nerves a little bit and be like oh yeah, he’s in,” Hoppel explained. This carefully tracked shows the extent of their commitment and backing for Bryce’s career.

Bryce is heading to the Olympics with his family. His success is attributed to his mother’s emotional support, his sisters’ attentive supervision, and his father’s race preparations. In their tight-knit family, Bryce thrives, knowing he has a strong support network. Undoubtedly, Bryce Hoppel will draw motivation from his family’s encouragement and presence as he prepares for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.