BEAUMONT, Texas — Southeast Texas is no stranger to producing some of the top athletes across the country, and the legacy continues in Port Arthur where they are molding the next generation of track stars.
Port Arthur will be represented at the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics next month in Houston.
Two girls and one teenager clinched a spot. Now, they'll compete against some of the top athletes across country.
With three weeks until the Junior Olympics, practice is in high gear for the Golden Triangle Track Club.
"It's fun doing track,” eight-year-old Khole Joubert said. “I trained very good and all of that."
Joubert only has one year of training under her belt, but she's set to make her Junior Olympics debut in the long jump.
"It's great going to the Junior Olympics and it's just so fun being a track star to go the Junior Olympics and to be top eighth," Joubert said.
This is the organization's first time having athletes qualify for the Olympics. It’s an accomplishment that resonates deeply with their coaches.
"I’m proud of them,” said Jacoby Berry, the head coach Gold Triangle Track. “They worked very hard from day one. They were locked in. They did everything that I asked them to do, and it paid off for them in the end."
As the season prepares to come to an end, there's a feeling of gratitude for Aydan Chatman. He gets to embark on this milestone with two of teammates.
"I feel like it's more pressure when you're by yourself because you're kind of holding the entire weight of team, but when it's multiple people, you're a team going and you can train as a team," Chatman said.
The third member of this trio, De'mijah Gorrer lets her talent do most of the talking, but her family said the support of the company propelled her to higher heights that will hopefully land her a gold medal.
"i'm just extremely proud, man,” said parent Decoven Gorrer. “I hope that the whole city can just keep supporting these kids just the Golden Triangle Track Club and just keep supporting and coming out every year."
The Junior Olympics starts July 31 and runs through August 7. The schedule for the runners is still being finalized. We'll pass that info along as soon as it's available.