Josh Karnes grew up here in Erie and has always had the dream of one day competing in the Olympics.

"You could kind of see the difference between how he trained compared to how other kids train," said former gymnast Bekah Kowalczyk.

Growing up, Josh practiced at Lakettes Gymnastics Academy on upper Peach St. He started gymnastics at 3 years old and is now set to compete for a spot on the Olympic team this Thursday.  We visited Lakettes, and everyone there had high praise for the Olympic hopeful.

"It's really awesome... this kid I practiced with when I was like 10 years old and now see him up on the big screen is pretty cool," said Gymnast Julia Burford. 

"Josh has always had it in his heart to pursue college and then go on to be a pro athlete. The Olympics has always been a dream, so he's going for it and we're right there with him," said Lakettes owner Heather Kowalczyk.

The U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials for the 2024 Paris games start Thursday.