Meet Croy Brown! Croy is a thirteen-year-old eighth-grade student at North Gwinnett Middle School. He runs for the North Gwinnett Middle School Cross Country Team and swims for Swim Atlanta and the Edinburgh Marlins. Croy has lived in Edinburgh for five years with his mom, Shawn Brown, and his grandmother, Debbie Barrett.  He loves living in Edinburgh because of the running opportunities on the trails at nearby Settles Bridge Park.  He also enjoys swimming with his friends on the neighborhood swim team.

Croy started cross country racing in the fall of 2025. His 6th grade science teacher, Ms. Sheffield, encouraged him to try out for the team. She handed him a flyer and said she thought he would be good at it. Croy points to David Goggins (a well-known athlete and former Air Force JTAC and Navy SEAL) and Hans Troyer, an American professional ultra-marathon runner from Newnan, Georgia, as role models.

His most impressive running results to date include finishing first at the Peach State Championship and spending a week at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, for the Nike Cross Country summer camp.  He says, “I gained valuable insight from five-time Olympian and coach Abdi Abdirahmen that led to substantial improvements in my cross country times.” He also credits his two middle school coaches, Coach Nawn and Coach Josloff, with his success.

On what he has learned as a cross country competitor, Croy says, “Good things come to people who wait and to humble yourself.” 

As for his aspirations in his cross country journey, Croy says he would like to be sponsored by Nike and attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, on a full scholarship. With his dedication and strong support system, Croy is well on his way to achieving these ambitious goals and continuing his promising athletic career. We can't wait to cheer him on!