VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It feels like yesterday Leah Crouse was headed to the Great Neck Recreation Center for summer camp. Now she's headed to Paris, France for the Summer Olympics. The two are actually pretty connected.
Field hockey has taken Leah Crouse all over the world.
"I've been to six continents. Australia...just spent two months in India", she said. "Like a month ago I was in London and Belgium for a month."
She's even mastered the art of air travel.
"I always have a face mask", she says. "Always canceling headphones. Listening to music, reading, watching a lot of movies, but mostly just trying to sleep."
On June 10th, Crouse found out that she was going to the Paris Olympics. She shared the experience with her father Brad after finding out she was going to be on the U.S. Field Hockey team.
"He is someone who has been this big rock for me", she said. "He's always been very supportive."
Their trip to Paris actually started when she used to drive by her alma mater in Cox High School on her way to summer camp.
"I kept seeing these girls out there holding these sticks and I'm like what is that", she said. "So then I asked my dad and he said, 'That's field hockey'. So I just said I want to try that. I want to sign up."
Her dad didn't hesitate.
"He signed me up for a little rec league", she said. Leah didn't either.
"And I just fell in love with it".
Crouse has gone from from cars to planes, from Virginia Beach to Paris and Rec League to the Olympics.