COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Thanks to Orangetheory fitness, fans got to meet a local Olympian before he heads to Tokyo.
When you become an Olympian, some may say you become a celebrity. For A&M’s Bryce Deadmon, he wasn’t too sure about that.
“I don’t really think about having fans, I’m not that popular yet,” Deadmon said, “At least, I don’t think I am.”
People who showed up to meet him Friday afternoon said otherwise.
“I found out Bryce was going to be here and I was like I gotta go meet this celebrity,” said Illinois native Dorene McCarthy.
McCarthy said she hopes this moment will stay with her son forever.
College Station native Ke’undrea Evans was nervous to meet an Olympian and added, “then again it’s always a good opportunity to meet new people because you don’t ever know what you could learn from other people.”
In the end, Evans was glad she decided to meet Deadmon and said, “it’s good to see other people succeed because it lets me know there’s a chance I could succeed too.”
Just 14 days stand between Deadmon and Tokyo but he chose to meet with his community one more time.
“The smile, just the humbleness he brings to the studio is really what our community is all about and that’s what we try to do,” Orangetheory Fitness special ops for marketing Troy Taylor said.
For some, Friday was the best day ever.
For Deadmon, his best day ever is right around the corner and said it still doesn’t feel real.
“It will probably sink in once I get down there, but as of right now, no it hasn’t hit me yet at all.”
About a dozen other Aggies will be joining Deadmon on the track in Tokyo and besides the coolest photo op, Deadmon is focusing on who he’s representing.
“It’s a really great feeling representing the U.S. and especially representing A&M and being with all my current and former teammates down there.”