Thanks to his sensational 3:30.59 finish at the US Track and Field Olympic Team Trials last month, Cole Hocker secured his place on the national team for a second-straight Olympic Games. With that, the University of Oregon athlete is one step closer to bagging his maiden Olympic gold. However, like many athletes from the country en route to the grand showdown, Hocker’s prospects at the Paris Games are leaving many on the edge of their seats.

Having a strong support system is one of the cornerstones for an athlete to shine on big stages. Luckily for Cole, the 23-year-old didn’t have to look too far to find cheering voices rallying to his cause.

Meet the guiding lights of Cole Hocker: Father Kyle and mother Janet Hocker

The love for running runs strong in the Hocker household: Cole’s father, Kyle, completed a 50-mile race on his 50th birthday. While Cole’s parents, Kyle and Janet, initially wanted their son to pursue a profession in medicine, when he found his calling in track sports, they didn’t hesitate to drop everything and stand firm in his corner.

Like some of the athletes who will join Hocker on the flight to Paris on the arduous trek to the summit of their respective events, the ex-Cathedral High School student Cole also had a family to fall back on whenever he needed some extra motivation to keep pushing himself. And they never left him hanging.

Know how Cole Hocker’s father and mother supported his Olympic dream

Kyle Hocker has been a steady presence as a volunteer coach for his son’s teams. He also claims not to have missed any of Cole’s performances since the latter was in third grade, starting from when he joined Horizon Christian School and began his track career. Along with providing all of their moral support, Kyle and Janet actively try to ensure their son meets his needs. The problem is that Cole doesn’t seem to need too much to find his solace. In an online article from three years ago by LetsRun, Kyle claimed that Cole is a pretty low-maintenance person. “He doesn’t even want a car. He’s different in that way,” said Kyle.

But that just gives his parents the opportunity to concentrate all their efforts on cheering for Cole on every possible occasion. When Cole ran at the Foot Locker Cross Country as a high school senior, Kyle was seen running alongside his son from the sidelines. “I think I ran the last 200 meters right alongside him as fast as he did. I was hurting for a week,” joked the Olympian’s father later.

This unwavering support has helped Cole win three NCAA Indoor Championships as well as several other national indoor and outdoor honors. But will it also be enough to take on more formidable foes from around the world at the Paris Olympics and get him his maiden hardware on the grand stage? We’ll have to wait just a few more weeks for the answer.