Whenever Rochelle track and field standout Aubrey Headon travels to compete in the long jump, she brings a small amount of sand from the landing pit back to her home facility at Rochelle Township High School.

Headon’s most recent expedition came this past week, when the U.S. Paralympic athlete participated in the 2019 Adaptive Sports USA Junior Nationals in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It was an emotional day for Headon, who took first place in her division with a mark of 2.79 meters to not only win the event, but set a new International Paralympic World Record in the process.

“My reaction to finally and officially breaking the world record was extreme excitement because all of my hard work had finally paid off,” Headon said. “I have to give credit to coach [Vic] Worthington for taking time out of his schedule to help me perfect my long jump technique this summer. I just want to keep setting the record at farther distances.”

The competition will be excellent preparation for Headon, who was recently selected to participate in the 2019 World Para Athletics Junior Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland alongside Team USA. Headon was one of only 20 athletes chosen to suit up for Team USA in the competition, which will run Aug. 1-4.

MedCare, located at 1212 Currency Court in Rochelle, will host a send-off event for Headon on Saturday, July 27 at 8 a.m. The send-off will feature appearances from the Rochelle Fire Department and local veterans. Headon will participate in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash events in addition to the shot put and possibly the long jump in Switzerland.

“I was honestly shocked when I was named to the team,” Headon said. “I’m most excited about representing the United States again on the international stage. In the long jump, hitting the board consistently is where I have improved the most.”