Home Grown: Real Athletes. Real Stories. Big Dreams.
Home Grown highlights hometown athletes who embody the spirit of their community wherever they go. Each episode revisits former high school stars now competing at the college level — athletes who grew up on local fields, courts, and tracks and continue to represent the places that shaped them.
Through candid, unfiltered conversations, they share their journeys of grit, growth, and gratitude. Home Grown isn’t just about sports — it’s about pride, roots, and the people who make our community what it is. No matter how far they go, these athletes remain true to their roots.
Home Grown: Real Athletes. Real Stories. Big Dreams.
Home Grown: Kaydence Daniels
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
No Warm-Ups. No Breakfast. No Doubt
Some championships start with perfect preparation.
This one didn’t.
In this episode of Home Grown: Real Athletes. Real Stories. Big Dreams., Jacksonville track standout Kaydence Daniels shares the chaotic morning that led to one of the biggest moments of her career.
She missed breakfast.
She missed warm-ups.
And on her final attempt, she jumped 18 feet, 10½ inches to win the state championship.
Now competing at North Carolina Central University, Kaydence reflects on the journey from AAU track meets and concrete runways to Division I competition.
We dive into:
🏃♀️ Switching from gymnastics to track
🏃♀️ Winning races against older athletes as a freshman
🏃♀️ Balancing school, AAU track, and a first job
🏃♀️ Being coached by her Marine mom
🏃♀️ The mental battle when progress stalls
🏃♀️ The chaotic state championship meet that ended in gold
🏃♀️ Competing against Division I athletes and hitting new PRs
Kaydence’s message to young athletes is simple:
Run for time, not faces. Protect your mindset. Trust the process.
If you love stories about resilience, discipline, and hometown pride, this one hits.
#HomeGrown #KaydenceDaniels #TrackAndField #LongJump #NCCUTrack #JacksonvilleNC