A hero’s welcome is what Georgetown native Anthuan Maybank received when he returned home last weekend.
The track at the Beck Recreation Center in Georgetown was named after Maybank, a gold medalist in the 4x400 relay at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
“I was truly surprised, humbled and honored when I actually got the call,” Maybank said. “I cannot express how excited I am for having this day named after me, this track and this facility because I want those kids who are out here on this track to utilize every aspect in their athleticism and their education.”
The track is only a few blocks away from Anthuan Maybank Drive, which runs alongside his alma mater, Georgetown High School.
Maybank also hosted a “Let’s Talk Success” program for kids on Friday morning, and attended a meet and greet event for the public on Friday night.
After graduating from Georgetown, Maybank attended the University of Iowa, where he
was a four time All-American, 1993 Big Ten athlete of the year and a seven time Big Ten champion.
Maybank is one of three South Carolina natives to win Olympic gold medals for the United States in the last 100 years. The other two are: Joe Frazier, a Beaufort native who won for boxing in Tokyo in 1964; and Khris Middleton, a Charleston native who won with the men’s basketball team in Tokyo in 2021.
After living in Paris for many years after the 1996 Olympics, Maybank returned to the United States in 2007 and founded Champion BODY (building outgoing dynamic youthfulness). He now works with college and professional athletes to achieve their goals.
Maybank talked about his life,what winning the medal meant, and his advice for kids.
You have a street and a track named after you. What does it mean to you and your family?
My son (Anthuan Jr.), his running joke is, “whatever your name is on, it belongs to me now dad.”
How did growing up in Georgetown shape you, and the man you are, and the Olympian?
Georgetown was a small, small area, which was good because it gave me a lot of information at one specific time. But, as we all do as we age, growth is a necessity.
When I was younger I couldn’t imagine what kids are experiencing today. My next door neighbor was like an extended member of the family. It’s not like that now. Your neighbors, if you did something wrong, by the time you walked down the street to your house, your mom knew what you were doing. That was huge to me, and right now I try to foster something similar with my kids in the environments I’m in so they can under- stand. No matter what they’re doing they’ve got someone who cares about them keeping an eye - Read More