TAMPA, Fla. — It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be number one in the state in any particular sport. Imagine the amount of work it will take to be ranked No. 1 in the nation.

What You Need To Know

  • Tampa Catholic track start J'Nia Simpson ranks No. 1 in the nation 

  • The freshman from Tampa Catholic is now a junior Olympian

  • She is coached by Tia Peoples, a former USF track star

  • J'Nia's goal is to make it to the Olympics

When it came time to pick a sport, when she was just 9 years old, javelin and shot put were not on J’Nia Simpson’s list.

“When I started off, I thought I was gonna do running but I wasn’t as fast as I thought I would, so I got into throwing," she said.

The freshman from Tampa Catholic is now a junior Olympian. 

“Throwing is all about technique, speed and aggression," she said, "something that I always like to have when I throw so I can maintain having good throws at a meet and always trying to PR at every meet.”

Here’s how she got here.

First, she has a rigorous training schedule, put together by her head coach, Tia Peoples. 

Peoples said, “Go into your mirror turn again and make sure that at the power or standing throw position, that you release it at 45 degrees, okay?”

A former track star at the University of South Florida, Peoples recognized Simpson’s potential when she was very young. 

“It is very important for somebody like myself to give back to somebody like her. She needs to see somebody that’s a female, that is African American and is positive so that she understands how the path should be, that she should travel on as she gets older," People said.

Peoples wanted to give back to her community by training young girls like Simpson and helping them excel in the sport she loves.

Under Tia's guidance, Simpson's throws have quickly become stronger and more precise. 

“All the hard work that I do out here with my coach, it pays off because I know that people are looking at me as a freshman and as a junior Olympian," she said.

On top of being the No. 1 freshman in the nation in javelin and shot put in her age range, she currently holds the middle school shot put and discus record. She’s also the only female in middle school state history to throw over 49 feet, and she’s a junior Olympian. 

“Sometimes I’m speechless and I tell her all the time, if I’m speechless, if I’m not saying anything that means that you have done absolutely perfect," Peoples said. "I’ve had several national champions, quite a few all Americans, as far as she is concerned, she is probably the best athlete that I’ve had thus far come through the program.”

Simpson said her goal is to make it to the Olympics, a goal her coach is confident she’ll achieve if she continues to put in the work. 

For now, she’s focused on finishing high school. Remember, she’s only a freshman.