The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics is on Friday.
Many hometown hopefuls are still making their way to Paris, including first-time Olympian Joseph Brown.
Tuesday night, he received a Texas-style send-off as he left the city of Commerce.
Dozens lined the street in front of Brown’s alma mater, Texas A&M Commerce, to wave goodbye as the 28-year-old left for the Olympics.
“I’m super proud. It’s a guy that I’ve seen consistently believe in himself, bet on himself, worked hard, and never doubted his ability,” said George Pincock, head track and field coach at TAMU Commerce.
Originally from Mansfield, Brown moved to Commerce for college and became a national champion.
Five years after graduating, he threw his way onto the U.S. Track and Field team earlier this month.
With the help of a police and fire escort, Brown smiled and waved as he headed out of town Tuesday to compete on his sport’s biggest stage.
“It was pretty emotional. We were able to see him and the big smile on his face as he was driving off,” said Jaret Lytle, a Commerce resident.
“We’re all rooting for him, and we’re super proud of him.”
