Westside Track Club from west Louisville headed to Junior Olympics in Houston

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 50 athletes with the Westside Track Club in Louisville are headed to the Junior Olympic Games.

Anthony Woods and Darius Brown are two of those training for the AAU Junior Olympic meet at the end of the month. And just a few months after the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center opened, they said the track has quickly become a safe space for them.

"This track has meant everything since sixth grade," Brown said. "It's been my niche in my life. It's my go-to whenever I'm down, whenever I'm up."

Woods said track has been a lifeline for those in the community looking to escape the violence that surrounds them.

"This is like our second home. We love this sport," he said. "We come here, we practice and we don't have time to do anything else. I feel like it's taken a lot of people off the streets, made them feel comfortable and made them feel at home and find people they love and they connect to."

Woods and Brown compete in different events: Woods in various field events and Brown in hurdles. Both are rising college freshman among the top in the country for their sport.

"In the long jump and triple jump, I'm top 10 in both of them in the nation," Woods said. "I'm fifth currently in triple and eighth currently in long."

"It started my freshman year when I became 10 in the state in the 110s," Brown added. "Then it went up to being third sophomore year and then junior we had COVID, so I couldn't show my skills. As my senior year went on, I went on to win a state championship."

Woods and Brown both received scholarships to pursue higher education, thanks to track and field. Woods will be attending Barton Community College in Kansas, and Brown is headed to DePaul University in Chicago.

"Out of all these people that are competing, you're right there with the top people," Woods said. "So it feels amazing."

As violence continues to escalate in Louisville, much centered in the west end, WTC coaches said the trip to the Junior Olympics is an example for others of what staying on the right track can do.

"I am a product of the west end," Coach Kim Springfield said. "I grew up in the west end and I personally would not have been able to go to college if I did not run track. I got a full scholarship to the University of Illinois. I know first-hand how important it is, how important Westside is."

WTC has members of all ages with over 80 athletes from around Louisville attending practices in the west end.

"I know I've got to stay on my A game, because kids look up to me," Brown said. "I've been told this numerous times. I just know sometimes people on the west end can't find their way out and I realize track was my way out, and it could be their way out too."

With so many athletes headed to the Houston games, the team needed to raise more than $30,000 to fund the trip. Coaches said they reached their goal for the games, but fundraising needs to continue in order to support future athletes in the program.

"We have been getting donations, and that is one of the things we are always looking for," Springfield said. "A lot of them can't get there if we don't help them."

To help fund the athlete's journey and the WTC program, you can contact the club at info@westsidetrackclub.org or click here.