Janie Reed, Olympian on the United States softball team during the Tokyo Olympics, grew up in Placentia and attended El Dorado High School.
Now, Southern California is where her husband and family will watch Reed's hard work pay off, cheering her on from a distance as the coronavirus pandemic continues during the Tokyo Olympics.
Relatives of local athletes like Reed, from around SoCal, have their fingers crossed that their loved ones will stay safe and healthy while they get their chance at a gold medal.
"It's hard when you bring in this many people from around the world, to make it completely safe," said Jake Reed, Dodgers pitcher and husband to Janie Reed. "I think they’re doing everything they can.
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As he prepared to watch his wife from 5,000 miles away on Tuesday night, he said he was relieved there were no fans in the stadium.
Jake Reed had COVID-19 in December, spending the holidays in isolation with what he called mild symptoms. His wife never got sick, and is fully vaccinated.
"Even if worst happened, and she got it, it would be more upsetting that they weren’t able to compete," said Jake Reed, "More so than being scared or anything."
Trevor Crabb, brother to Olympic men's volleyball player and Redondo Beach native Taylor Crabb, is in the same boat.
"It's really terrible when someone can work for a lot of years to qualify for one event, and not be able to play," Trevor Crabb said. "Even if they get a false positive, or even if they actually get sick and then get better, but still can’t play."
He's also worried about the health protocols in Tokyo, and questioned the effectiveness of the testing system in place.
If there are injuries or illness, the men's volleyball team can bring in a substitute, but it has to happen by Thursday, before the first beach volleyball game for the US men's team on Saturday. What happens next is uncertain.
Even so, "I'm stoked for him to be there," said Trevor Crabb. "Parents too, couldn't be more proud of a brother."
