Meet the 6 Hampton Roads Olympic athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Games

The long-awaited 2024 Summer Olympics are set to kick off in Paris on Friday, July 26.

These six outstanding Hampton Roads athletes will be competing on the global stage.

Sophia Luwis (William & Mary)

Sport: Rowing

Sophia Luwis’s journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics began in Williamsburg when she joined William & Mary’s Club Rowing Team.

She fell in love with the sport and went on to secure several impressive victories, winning gold at the 2023 Bled International Regatta and silver at the 2023 World Rowing Cup.

After participating in the Olympic trials in June, she qualified as an alternate for Team USA.

Luwis’s achievement is particularly impressive because it represents a major comeback.

In 2022, she was involved in a serious car accident in Princeton, New Jersey, while training for the World Championship.

She says the crash – which landed her in the ICU for 10 days – caused her to suffer brain bleeds, broken ribs and an injured knee. 

Two years later, she’s heading to Paris.

“I didn’t think I would ever  get to this level,” she told 13News Now. “For me, being named spared, I was ecstatic – especially with the accident and all the recovery.”

Grant Holloway (Chesapeake)

Sport: Track & Field

Grant Holloway, 26, already earned a silver Olympic medal during the 2020 games in Tokyo.

Once a four-star wide receiver, he decided to leave football for track and field to pursue his dream of becoming an Olympian.

In addition to the Olympic Silver, Holloway won gold at three World Athletic Championships and two World Indoor Championships. 

Justin Dowell

Sport: BMX/Cycling

Justin Dowell, 24, first started riding as a young child after his hometown of Virginia Beach built a new skate park. 

He won a World Championship in 2018 and went on to compete as a top-ranked rider in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

Dowell is now known for his signature move, the Twix, which consists of a simultaneous tailwhip and barspin. He is the only rider who performs the trick in competitions. 

Quincy Wilson (Chesapeake)

Sport: Track & Field

At just 16 years old, Quincy Wilson has become the youngest track and field Olympian to ever represent Team USA.

During the Olympic trials last month, the young phenomenon completed the 400 meter dash in under 45 seconds in all of his three races, setting a new Under-18 World Record in the semifinals of 44.59 seconds.

“I knew as soon as he walked through those gym doors, he was going to be something special,” said Jonathan Doyle, who coached Wilson at Great Bridge Middle School. 

Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach)

Sport: Field Hockey

Leah Crouse has been playing field hockey since the age of 10 and went on to help her high school win its 18th and 19th state titles. 

13News Now recently shared a video showing the emotional moment Crouse told her dad she qualified to compete in the Paris Olympics. “[My dad] has always been incredibly supportive,” she said.

This year marks Crouse’s first Olympic appearance. 

Stephanie Roble (Old Dominion University)

Sport: Sailing

Originally from Wisconsin, Stephanie Roble, 35, is a graduate of Old Dominion University.

She began sailing at the age of 5 and went on to be named the 2014 U.S. Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.

This is Roble’s second trip to the Olympics after competing in Tokyo in 2020.

“Before Tokyo, I felt nervous and not really sure what to expect,” Roble told WPR News. “Now for this Olympics, I’m feeling just really excited and ready to race.”

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How to watch the 2024 Olympics: The opening ceremony will be broadcast across NBC’s platforms, including Peacock, at 1:30 p.m. on July 26. It will re-air on NBC at 7:30 p.m. U.S. coverage of the Olympics will continue to air daily on NBC until the conclusion of the games on August 11. For more information, visit nbcolympics.com.