Students strive for the Olympic dream

When Junior Serena Gray began playing volleyball in seventh grade, she had no idea that her hard work would be rewarded by becoming part of USA Volleyball’s National Youth Training Team four years later. Her passion has led her one step closer to the Olympics by giving her a shot to represent the country at the World Championships next year.

Sophomore Molly Liang first discovered her talent for running when she was searching for something new to try during freshman year. Liang was able to overcome the difficulty of becoming an athlete on a Varsity team as a freshman, in spite of having little running experience. Her ambition to reach her Olympic goal comes from her teammates and family.

Soccer has been a part of Freshman Madison Hoiby’s life ever since she began playing for AYSO in kindergarten. The thought of becoming an Olympic athlete first occurred to her when a family friend qualified for the USA Rugby Olympic team, which made her realize that it was possible to achieve her dream. Hoiby’s coaches and teams are a source of motivation for her.

As a member of the San Gabriel Sea Gulls and the TCHS swim team, Senior Cindy Kreeck is no stranger to the sport of swim and the challenge that comes along with it. Olympic swimmers Rebecca Soni and Maya Dirado influence Kreeck’s Olympic dream. However, she stresses the importance of self-reliance when it comes to improving.