Olympian Thea LaFond has a proud brother and the support of an entire football team.
The 30-year-old track and field star made history on August 3 by winning Dominica's first Olympic medal—a gold in the triple jump.
Her brother, Navy defensive end Chreign LaFond, received the news during football practice.
In a video shared by Navy Football, a coach calls Chreign out in front of the whole squad.
"Hey, your sister just won a gold medal," the coach announces.
Upon hearing the news, Chreign LaFond appears overwhelmed, hugging one of the coaches as the rest of the team erupts in cheers and excitement, gathering around him.
Amidst the clapping and jumping, players can be heard shouting, “Let’s go! Let’s go!”
“The moment when you find out your sister won a gold medal at the Olympics!” Navy Football captioned the video. “Congratulations Thea LaFond!"
The gold medalist was born in Dominica, a Caribbean island with about 72,000 residents. The island lacks track and field facilities, according to the Washington Post.
Thea LaFond moved to the United States at age 5, living in New Jersey and then Maryland, according to her Olympics bio. She excelled in track and field during high school and later at the University of Maryland.
The moment when you find out your sister won a gold medal at the Olympics!
Congratulations Thea LaFond!#GoNavy | #RollGoats pic.twitter.com/38p4NGpsXK— Navy Football (@NavyFB) August 3, 2024
At Maryland, Thea LaFond placed among the top ten in both the women's high jump and triple jump at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships, as shared by the school.
In 2013, she was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year. During her senior year in 2015, she was named Big Ten's Field Athlete of the Year.
The Paris Games marked Thea LaFond's third Olympics representing Dominica, having previously competed in the Tokyo and Rio Games. In March, she won the triple jump title at the World Indoor Championships.
After her historic win, Thea LaFond told the Washington Post that her ties to the island, which she visited often growing up, remained strong.
"I was never allowed to ever forget where I came from," she said.
Thea LaFond knows her medal will spark celebrations.
“Oh, God, my country is never going to stop partying, are they?” she told the Washington Post. “And it’s a Saturday? Just cancel work on Monday, guys.”
“They deserve this as much as I do,” LaFond said. “And I hope they are partying enough for both of us. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this. I don’t know how everything worked out—but we worked for this.”