Grant Fisher gets his flowers from Grand Blanc community after Olympic triumph

GRAND BLANC, MI - Olympic medalist Grant Fisher returned to his hometown of Grand Blanc to a hero's welcome after winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Fisher, who placed third in both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races in August, was honored as grand marshal of Friday's homecoming parade that brought the entire community together.

The celebration, filled with cheering crowds and local pride, marked a triumphant moment for the Grand Blanc native, whose journey to international athletic stardom began on the very streets where he was now being celebrated.

The homecoming parade wasn't just a recognition of Fisher's Olympic achievements but also a tribute to his deep roots in the community.

Surrounded by family, friends, and fans, Fisher expressed his gratitude for the support he's received over the years while he stood on top of a Grand Blanc Fire Department ladder truck, occasionally holding up his medals.

His former coaches, classmates, and local leaders joined the festivities, praising his dedication and hard work, which have inspired a new generation of athletes in the area.

Fisher's day started in Grand Blanc Township where he had an indoor track named in his honor at Ascension Genesys Health Club in a special ceremony.

The Grant Fisher Indoor Track ("Where Champions Are Made") was unveiled.

It's the track where Fisher began his running career.

Related: Hometown hero and Olympic medalist Grant Fisher has Grand Blanc track named in his honor

With both Olympic medals around his neck, Fisher called Grand Blanc his home, and the indoor track his oasis.

"I've smiled on this track. I've laughed on this track with my friends. I've cried on this track. I've bled on this track. I've thrown up on this track," Fisher said. "We've left our mark here. It means the world to me."

During the ceremony, his coach Mike Scannell said a year ago, Fisher called him and asked to start coaching him again.

They met in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Fisher set a clear goal: "I want to get on the podium in Paris."

From then until he won two medals in France, Fisher didn't miss one day of practice, preparation or recovery, Scannell said.

"Grant does the right thing when nobody is watching," Scannell said.

Ascension Genesys Health Club President Sandy Meszaros gave Fisher and Scannell lifetime memberships.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson called Fisher a hero at the ceremony.

"You need to embrace the title, to show others how to be a hero, what it takes to be a leader, what it takes to train. Because if you do that, you're going to change culture, you're going to restore families, you're going to inspire the next leader, the next Olympian and the next hero," the sheriff said.

Fisher then spent time at the high school at a semi-private tailgate before the homecoming parade showered him with applause and praise.

He spoke with members of the student newspaper, the Bobcat Banner, and met with students who'd written essays for a chance to meet him and get autographs.

During halftime of the Grand Blanc vs. Lansing Everett game at Don Batchelor Field, it was announced the school's track and field will have a sculpture of Fisher built outside next spring.

Fisher became the first American in 12 years to win an Olympic medal in the 10,000 meters.

Also: American Grant Fisher of Grand Blanc wins Olympic bronze in 10,000 meters

He made his first Olympic appearance in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races in 2021 in Tokyo, finishing fifth in the 10,000 and ninth in the 5,000.

Those competitions came after Fisher was an 11-time All-American at Stanford, where he was the 2017 NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter champion.

At Grand Blanc High School, he was a two-time state and national cross country champion who ran just the seventh sub-4:00 mile in U.S. history by a high school runner.

He earned the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award in both 2014 and 2015. Other notable stars such as LeBron James, Candace Parker and Kyler Murray have won the award.

He also finished his high school career undefeated in the mile, making him one of the most dominant distance runners of his generation.

"I don't say Detroit, I don't say from Flint, I say I'm from Grand Blanc," he told MLive-The Flint Journal in 2015 when he won the second Gatorade award . "They might have no idea where Grand Blanc is, and they probably don't, but I'm proud to be from here and you guys mean a lot to me."