Nixa native Courtney Frerichs showed the world her heart as she captured the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase run on Wednesday at the Tokyo Olympics.
Midway through the race, she separated from the pack before being passed on the final lap. She finished with a time of 9:04.79 for her best time of the season.
While Frerichs has always had the dream of being an Olympian, distance-running wasn't originally what she set out to do.
Here are five things to know about the pride of Nixa:
1. She originally wanted to be a gymnast
When Frerichs met with reporters following the race, she thought back to being a little girl watching the Olympics.