TWU student feels Olympic glory after brother wins bronze

The Paris Olympics may be over, but for Texas Woman’s University senior Lauren Watson, the glory of experiencing the summer games will live forever.

That’s because Watson got to witness her brother, Sam Watson, win a bronze medal – and set a new world record – in the speed climbing competition.

Sam Watson’s feat went viral as he set the record with an astonishing time of 4.74 seconds, beating his previous world record by 1/100th of a second. Watson set the new record as he was vying for the Olympic bronze medal. He had previously been edged out of the gold medal round after losing in the semifinals.

As she watched her brother competing for bronze, Lauren said she was focused on the light that flashed green at the top of the climbing wall, which indicates the winner. When it turned on in her brother’s lane, she knew he won.

“I rose to my feet, cheering and screaming,” Lauren recalled. “I didn’t even see the time — just the color indicating his win. It took me a second to process that he just made a new world record.”

Minutes later, she was able to hug her brother briefly following the medal ceremony. The two embraced, with each sibling leaning over a barricade.

“The first time I’d seen him in months – and he came back as an Olympic medal holder? Tears were falling,” she said.

Among other Watson family members in Paris to watch the record-breaking speed climb were the siblings’ parents, an aunt and uncle, and cousins. The entourage got to take in other Olympic events and were invited to the Team USA House for a celebration dinner.

A day later, Lauren and her parents were Texas-bound, where she’ll have new memories to share of her Paris experience as she awaits the start of her senior year as an English major at Texas Woman’s.

Lauren is creating a legacy of her own at the university, where she serves as Panhellenic president, and is adding to the lineage of Pioneers in her family. Her grandmother, Maryanne Watson, earned a PhD in psychology in 1987; her great aunt, Louise Baldwin, earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing; and her aunt, Jeanine Tate, also earned a bachelor’s in nursing from the university.

Page last updated 9:31 AM, August 13, 2024