In less than a month, Josh Honey-cutt will have the chance of a lifetime.
The 2007 Iola High School graduate will compete in the triple jump in Eugene, Ore., at the U.S. Olympic Trials with his sights set on earning a place on the U.S. Olympic Team bound for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This opportunity for Honeycutt is the culmination of a journey that began long ago, 1,800 miles from Eugene and the University of Oregon’s campus, right here in Iola.
Throughout the week, the Iola Register has released a three-part series on Honeycutt’s journey, the first installment was in Saturday’s Weekender edition and the second was in Tuesday’s Register. Today marks the third and final installment.
After spending his college career at Emporia State University, Josh Honeycutt had a big decision on his hands.
Was he going to give up on his track career, take his degree and enter the workforce or would he keep chasing the dream and go to Phoenix, Ariz., to train and compete in international track and field events?
Honeycutt and a few friends made the decision to pack up and head to Phoenix.
Training in Phoenix was an eye-opening experience and Honeycutt was able to meet some of the nation’s most famous athletes.
“I’m eating breakfast with Lolo Jones and other world record holders, people who shoot commercials, and I’m sitting here just eating breakfast with them,” Honeycutt said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, wow,’ and they are just having a conversation with me.”
Whenever he talked to his fellow potential Olympians, they would always ask Honeycutt where he was from, expecting to here a place they recognized or maybe one of the recruiting hotbeds sprinkled across the nation that tend to produce most of the Olympic-caliber track stars, but Honeycutt’s answer was unique.
“I tell people with gladness that I am from Iola, I’m glad to tell people that I am from a small town,” Honeycutt said. “I’m glad to tell people I had only 80 people in my graduating class. I’m glad to be different, because I feel someone has to speak up for those small-town kids. Being from Iola is a privilege because it makes me different and I am proud of that difference.”
One of the most surreal moments for Honeycutt came when he received his Team USA uniform and gear in the mail.
He had grown up idolizing Olympic athletes and was a big basketball fan. The first couple ‘Dream Teams’ were always what he had associated with greatness as a child.
“I remember having the ‘Dream Team’ trading cards when I was younger and seeing Shaq, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone with ‘USA’ on their jerseys,” Honeycutt said. “ For me to have that, it was such a big thing for me and my dreams. I’m on one of the highest stages in the world.”
When the package arrived, he could hardly contain himself when he saw his own jersey with ‘USA’ written across the chest.
