Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Jones honored with surprise party in return home
By Ricky Sayer
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GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Jones was celebrated by her family and friends at a surprise party held in Greensburg on Sunday.
Jones earned her medal by placing third in the two-woman bobsled at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
“I was loving every bit of it. I was soaking up every ounce, because it’s your child, and no one knows what she worked through to get there,” said Jones’ mother, Christine Graves Vincent, who was able to attend the Olympics to see her daughter compete thanks to a GoFundMe campaign. “We thank God for people who gave out of their heart.”
She had to keep the party a surprise from her daughter. Jones entered to applause and chants of “USA, USA.”
“So, that was crazy,” Jones said. “Just to see them all there, even cheering for me, and I do have something to show for it. It just really makes me, you know, proud to be where I’m from, and grateful to have the support behind me.”
That support helped to power her through years of training, some of which she did at a Westmoreland County gym, Virtus Barbell.
“Oh, she’s incredible,” said the gym’s owner, Nicole Bohince. “She is always dialed in and confident and one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met.”
Jones originally wanted to go to the Olympics as a track and field athlete before switching to winter sports, where many of the same skills apply.
“It’s phenomenal,” Vincent said. “It’s phenomenal because what takes, what 50 seconds took over four years to achieve, and a dream she had over 15 years ago.”
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