Ashburn Magazine

Ashburn man achieves lifelong Olympic dreams

As a child growing up in rural Jamaica, Dennis Blake knew one thing – he liked to run, and he liked to run fast. When he saw runners on TV at a friend’s house, he set some pretty heady goals for himself. One, get on TV. Two, run in the Olympics. And, three, win an Olympic medal.

Spoiler alert – the Broadlands resident achieved all three.

Today, after several years working at Briar Woods High School as a resource teacher and track coach, Blake is a private mentor and coach and also does public speaking.

Ashburn Magazine sat down with Blake, 53, at a local coffee shop to talk about his life and his goals – and whether he is watching the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Another spoiler alert – the answer is yes, and possibly for a very special reason.

Click here and head over to the Ashburn Magazine site to read the full interview with Blake and discover his story of setbacks and success at the Olympic Games.