By Caroline N. Johnston
Staff Writer

Web-posted July 29, 1996

Willis Hamblin is going to the Olympics - not this year, but, he hopes, in 2000.

He has set his goals and nothing can slow him down.

It's no wonder, because Willis has been training since he was in third grade.

Willis began his running career at Barton Chapel Elementary School. After he snagged several first-place awards, track coaches jumped at the opportunity to have Willis run for their teams. Coach Ed Wilson prevailed.

As head coach of the Road Runners Track Club, a summer program for track athletes, Mr. Wilson saw Willis' competitive spirit two years ago and had to get him on his team.

Willis ran with the Road Runners for one summer and continued to run for Mr. Wilson when a new team, the Flying Eagles, was formed.

``He always knows what it takes to get to the next level, and that's what I think it takes to be a strong athlete,'' Mr. Wilson said.

Strong he is.

The 13-year-old Morgan Road Middle School student qualified to run the 200-meter race in the Amateur Athletic Union's Junior Olympics, to be held Aug. 8-10 in New Orleans.

To prepare himself further for the competition, Willis traveled to Bethesda, Md., earlier in the month for the East Coast Invitational Track Meet.

``It was really just a warmup to get me ready for New Orleans. It was not mandatory, but I felt I needed some more competition to get me pumped up,'' Willis said.

He was pumped up enough to clinch first place in the 200-meter race, a hopeful sign for the upcoming New Orleans meet.

``I think that if I keep doing what I'm doing, with my training, that I can make it. I think that all I need to do is my best and I'll eventually get to the Olympics,'' he said.

And with the Olympic track and field games being aired on television this week, Willis can picture himself being there.

``It gets me really excited. When I watch those runners on the track, I just think to myself, `That's going to be me one day.'''