ATLANTA — A 9-year-old athlete from Marietta needs the community's help as he races to attend the 2023 Track and Field Junior Olympics in Iowa.
In the first week of August, Jace Henderson will represent the local youth track club, the ATL Trailblazers in Iowa's capital.
In Des Moines, Jace will join others in his age group as he competes for first place in the 400-meter race and the long jump division.
His parents explained that their son's determination and hard work led him to qualify for the games.
"He's very dedicated," Jamaica Thames said "To pass regionals, he wrote down what his goal was to get for his long jump and his 400. He then put it under his pillow and he actually achieved his goals."
To make the young track star's dreams of playing in the games come true, his family created an online fundraiser and is asking the community for support.
"The flights and the transportation and just the whole trip came to a nice amount, "Thames explained. "We just wanted to give him the opportunity to go and achieve his goals for something he's worked so hard for."
Jace's parents explain they're only asking for half of what is needed for the trip, which has a price tag of nearly $4,000.
A multi-sport athlete
The family describes the nine-year-old boy as being different from other kids. Known as a multi-sport athlete, an athlete who competes or trains in two or more different sports, Jace also plays on his school's football team.
"We joke all the time that he's not one of those kids who has a lot of toys. Most of his toys are a football or basketball," Frank Henderson said. "He enjoys things that are going to help him get better in whichever sport he plays."
The 9-year-old explained that his daily routine includes an ab, full body or leg workout, depending on the day and sport. To prepare for the games in August, Jace trains multiple times a week to improve his personal record.
"I work on my speed and for the long jump, I have to build up my speed and use my arms, get my legs up," Jace said. The thing Jace looks forward to the most is breaking his most recent personal record.
"I'm super proud of him. I always tell him that he's done more at this age than I could ever imagine. So I think if he just keeps it up, the sky's the limit," Henderson said.
To view and donate to Jace's fundraiser, click here.