MACON, Ga. — One Central Georgia athlete is not only setting records, but she's also starring in a movie that's being shown across the country.
Diamond Morgan is a senior track star at Jones County High School and set the triple jump record for the school.
Before that, she went to Central Fellowship Christian Academy, where she became the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association State Champion for the 100, 200, 400, and triple jump.
Now she's starring in the movie "Overcomer" as the character Gina Mimms.
It's about a high school basketball coach who reluctantly agrees to coach cross country after hundreds of families leave his town following the shutdown of a manufacturing plant. He and his wife then meet an aspiring runner who takes on the challenges of the sport, and through faith, makes it to the finish line.
“It kind of still hasn’t caught up to me. I know it will, I don’t know, like 10 years from now, and I see it, and I’m like ‘oh my gosh, I was actually there, like that was me,’” Morgan said.
Morgan's character faces off against the main character in the movie, Hannah Scott. She says she kind of fell into the movie by chance.
“Alex Kendrick, the producer of the movie, his daughters ran against me during the track season, and so he was like, 'well, if we’re going to have a state champion in the movie, why don’t we just get our actual state champion,’” Morgan said. “And of course that was a without a doubt ‘yes.’”
She says her favorite part about being in the movie was bonding with the cast, but at times it was difficult learning something new like acting.
“It was fun, it was kind of scary, because we had this huge drone that was like right behind us when we were running, and it was just like, you kind of want to run to act, but at the same time you’re running away from this big old drone that’s like, coming for you,” Morgan said.
The movie was produced by the Kendrick Brothers, who are from Georgia and are known for their faith-based films. Morgan says their work truly comes from the heart.
“It is honestly an honor, even if I was just an extra it would still be an honor, because you see their movies, and you see how much of an impact they had on everyone,” Morgan said. “And it’s just amazing to just be a part of that.”
If the opportunity to act again were to come up, Morgan says she’d take it, but right now she’s not actively seeking roles.
"I want to go to the United States Naval Academy, and then later on become a U.S. Marine, and then become an anesthesiologist," Morgan said.
It's also her last year of track, and she hopes to push herself and is appreciative of any support she gets.
You can watch "Overcomer" in theaters all over Central Georgia including Amstar Macon, Galleria Cinemas, Houston Lake Cinemas, AMC in Milledgeville, and GTC in Dodge County.
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