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Houston’s Raevyn Rogers wins Olympic bronze on her mom’s birthday

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 31: Raevyn Rogers of Team United States competes in the Women's 800m Semi-Final on day eight of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 31, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) (Patrick Smith, 2021 Getty Images)

Houston’s Raevyn Rogers helped give her mother a birthday to remember until the end of time.

Rogers, who is a graduate of The Kinkaid School, was taking part in her first Olympics. Before she left for Tokyo, she told KPRC 2′s Christine Noël her Olympic goal was to win an Olympic medal on the day of her mom’s birthday.

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That wish came true.

On Tuesday in Tokyo, Rogers stormed from behind down the home stretch to capture a place on the podium, winning the bronze with a personal best time of 1:56.81. And it was a close race. The times between the third- through fifth-place finishers were only separated by two-tenths of a second. The race was ultimately won by former Texas A&M star Athing Mu at 1:55.21.

But for Rogers, this was most definitely a victory given a trying year during the pandemic that included a move from Philadelphia to Portland, a switch in coaches, injuries, and all the highs and lows that come with those adjustments.

RELATED: How to watch the top events on Day 12 of the Tokyo Olympics

On Tuesday, Rogers conquered all of that and will leave Tokyo with Olympic hardware. Her close family circle, and her mother on her birthday, in a group they lovingly call the “Raevyn’s Nest,” couldn’t be more proud.

Raevyn Rogers' sister, mother, and father (L-R) (Copyright 2021 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

“I am really emotional, but first of all, I just thank God for us being in this Raevyn’s Nest, period, for all the support,” said Raevyn’s mother, Rhonda Rogers-Hunt. “I thank Him for letting Raevyn be safe and coming across that (finish) line, with her bringing home some hardware for her mother for a happy birthday. I’m just happy. I’m overjoyed -- full of joy, just full of joy right now.”

Rogers-Hunt was beaming with tears in her eyes as she said this. Just minutes before the race started, after a prayer, the family had sung her happy birthday. And after the race, Rogers-Hunt’s eyes welled up and she needed a moment outside the room to collect herself with all the feelings coming upon her.

“This morning, when I talked to (Raevyn), she was like, ‘Mom, I’m going to do the best that I can. And I’m going to leave it all up to God-- God is going to take me over the finish line. Where I place, I place,’” Rogers-Hunt said. “And I told her, ‘You are an Olympian. No one will ever take that from you, so wherever you place, one through eight, you are an Olympian, no matter what.’ The Lord just put a little cherry on this sundae.”


About the Author
Howard Chen headshot

Born in Canada but raised in Houston, Howard joined KPRC 2 in 2021 after five years at ESPN. Before that, Howard was a reporter on Houston Rockets and Houston Astros game broadcasts. Among the events that Howard has covered on site: the NBA bubble and the Basketball Hall of Fame inductions for both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. He's H-town proud!

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