Local moves closer to Olympic dream

Local boxer Trey Alexander’s life-long goal of becoming an Olympic athlete got a lot more realistic this past week.

Alexander informed The Times that he has been accepted into the United States Army’s World Class Athlete Program – a program provided to support and train the army’s athletes to help keep them a step above the competition during their training.

For Alexander, the appointment is huge, because it means he will receive a conditional release from the National Guard, and will join active duty so that he can join the Army’s other athletes (of all sports) who are training at the program’s facility in Colorado.

Alexander said he leaves this week, adding that he “can’t wait” to see what his future holds.

The local earned his spot in the program as a multi-time Gold Gloves performer – a multi-time Gold Medal winner at separate All-Army camps over the past two years.

“Of all the accomplishments I’ve been blessed to receive, I think this ranks as my No. 1 accomplishment,” Alexander said this week. “Everything I’ve done since I laced up a pair of gloves for the first time four years ago has all led to this moment. For me, this is life-changing. I am so grateful and so excited.”

For Alexander, earning a spot in the program gives him control of his own destiny in the quest to represent the red, white and blue at the highest levels of competition.

Alexander said he picked up boxing when he graduated Ellender – just after he turned 18. The timing coincided with his decision to become a member of the U.S. Army National Guard.

For many, the late start would have been a detriment, but to Alexander, things just sort-of come easily to him.

He fights at a little more than 140 pounds and possesses a heavy hand, elite quickness and the smarts to push past opponents when in the ring.

Alexander won the 2016 National Police Activities League Boxing Championship this past summer – a national crown sanctioned by USA Boxing. He finished runner-up at the prestigious event the year before.

He is also a multi-time member of the All-Army Boxing Team – a fighter who has quickly earned the reputation as being one of the top amateur fighters in the military.

“I’ve come a long way in such a short time,” Alexander said over the summer when asked about his ascent. “I have so many people who I can be thankful for and so many people who inspire me. I stay hungry and work hard so that I can show all of those people that anything is possible – even for us here in Houma, Louisiana.”

Alexander’s current goal is perhaps his most ambitious one to date – reaching the highest level possible within the U.S. Army.

The local fighter said getting into the program is a long-time coming – a process that made him antsy along the way, because it involved so many different things having to happen for the wish to be reality.

Alexander emphasized that the WCAP also trains track stars, rugby players, wrestlers and others – any athlete in the U.S. Army that earns the right to focus within a craft.

“The process of getting my conditional release and joining active duty took a little while to happen, so I’ve been anxious for a while now,” Alexander said. “But I’m pretty excited, honestly. Once I get to Colorado, my goals are to get my body back to tip-top shape and then get some big-time tournaments under by belt.”

Alexander believes he is at the right place to make that happen.

In Colorado, his tour will be four years, and it will take him across the country and world in the spirit of competition.

He said he earned the spot, thanks to his efforts at the past two All-Army camps and also the national title-winning victory over the summer.

“Those things proved to the coaches that I have the tools, along with the hard work and dedication to be there,” Alexander said.

But he quickly added that he will not be taking anything for granted, because he knows the other competitors will be just as hungry as he is.

Depending on how things fall, there may only be a handful of spots on the Olympic team available when qualifying comes up for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Whether Alexander is on the team, that remains to be seen.

But he said no one will definitively outwork him, because he plans to give his best effort every, single day he’s there.

“It’s a great thing,” Alexander said. “I just can’t wait to get myself started.”

Trey AlexanderCOURTESY

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