An Olympic aspirant forced a middle school teacher in Lake County to resign from his position last year. During the weekend, those fantasies came true.
After placing among the top three in the men’s javelin event at the Olympic Trials on Sunday, Donavon Banks, a former robotics teacher at Windy Hill Middle School, will compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.
“He was a great classroom teacher. All of the children loved him and all of us, staff included, were inspired by his work ethic,” Windy Hill Middle School Principal Kelly Cousineau stated. “He trained every day after school. He would tell all of us, ‘I am going to the Olympics.’ It was never ‘I hope to go’ or ‘I might go.'”
On May 24, Banks left his position at Windy Hill in order to pursue that desire. After relocating to Clermont to train at the National Training Center, a sports and fitness center, he began working as a teacher in July 2023.
In Banks’ corner are also Windy Hill students. During their sixth period lesson, they even went to the track to see Banks throw.
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“The goal was twofold – to allow students to see a future Olympian in action and to get Banks accustomed to throwing in front of a large and sometimes unpredictable crowd,” a spokesperson for Lake County Schools stated.
A bus load of kids flocked to the National Training Center on May 19 to watch Banks participate in an Olympic challenge that would guarantee him a spot in the competition in Paris. Even though he fell short by a few yards, that day didn’t end his Olympic hopes.
On Sunday night, Banks managed to qualify for the USA national team. Principal Cousineau celebrated the exciting news on Facebook while staff and students gathered to watch the trials.
“HE DID IT! Mr. Banks is going to Paris!! We are all so incredibly proud of you, Mr. Banks,” she stated.
