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Titan athletes launch GoFundMe campaign to travel to Outdoor Nationals in Oregon

A pair of Alexandria track and field athletes are asking for help to get to The Outdoor Nationals next month.

T.C. Williams Titans David Coles and Joshua Peterson will compete in the Triple Jump on July 1 at the Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, which is also where the U.S. Olympic track and field trials are being conducted this month.

But they need help getting to Oregon, and have launched a GoFundMe campaign.

“If you are familiar with the financial side of traveling for sports then you know that things can be very costly,” Coles wrote on the fundraiser page. “We are asking our friends, family, and supporters to please help Josh and I compete in Oregon so we can achieve the dream of competing at the National Level.”

The pair are almost there, having raised $3,575 of their $4,000 goal. They said that the funds will cover their flights, Uber rides, rooms and meals.

“This is a meet we have dreamed of competing and winning in ever since we started taking this sport seriously,” Coles said. “Last year the event was suspended due to covid so we have never gotten the chance to experience a real high school nationals outdoor event.”

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.