'We're so proud of him': Cheboygan residents cheering on grandson, Olympian Adam Coon

CHEBOYGAN – Thousands of miles away, Adam Coon is preparing to live his dream.

Coon, a former wrestling star at Fowlerville High School and the University of Michigan , will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Medaling will certainly be a goal for Coon, 29, who qualified for the Olympics by placing first in the 130-kg Greco-Roman heavyweight event during United States qualifying trials in Pennsylvania back in April.

Coon’s talent, intensity and will to succeed has been noticed by so many throughout the years, and even by some he has a deep connection to in Cheboygan . Watching Coon from afar are his grandparents, Cherie and Wayne Precord, who have lived in Cheboygan since 1971. For years, they've been avid supporters of Coon, who spent many of his summers up north as a youngster.

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“As grandparents, we loved him very much, and this was a summer place for him to come,” Cherie said. “One of the big things that our grandchildren have said is (Cheboygan is) so much fun because they can walk places. They all live out where they can’t bike into town, but they can ride bikes here. They could walk down to the movies. After dinner, they would walk to the original Big Dipper, so we would all walk together and get an ice cream cone.

“I think there was more freedom here because they were all raised in the country.”

While Cherie and Wayne took their grandkids out for ice cream several times, they've always noticed something unique about Adam, the son of Dan Coon, a Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Famer who was Cheboygan's coach at one time.

“His determination in everything he did,” Cherie said of Adam. “The minute he could get on a mat – his dad had a setup at the barn – he would be there training or helping his dad. Up here, he was more like bike riding, going swimming, because it was just a different atmosphere. Down there, if you found Dan, you usually found Adam. His dad was kind of his idol growing up.

“Dan was the championship wrestler, so he just fell into it.”

The Precords won’t be flying to Paris for the Olympics, but they’ve followed many of Coon’s accomplishments, including four high school state titles at Fowlerville, along with being a three-time All-American at Michigan.

“We’ve watched him at different times and it’s always exciting – and kind of worrisome, too – because we want him to do so well,” Wayne said. “He’s come through many times. We got t-shirts with the Olympics and the name Adam Coon on it, so we’ll be wearing those and watching him.”

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Wayne, a retired Cheboygan state trooper, and Cherie, a former secretary at Cheboygan High School, will have the joy of watching their beloved grandson compete in the Olympics for the first time. Like previous events, the grandparents will be on the edge of their seats.

And, just like their grandson, it’ll be the experience of a lifetime.

“He’s never been a look-at-me type person. He’s got a job to do, and he just does it,” Cherie said of her grandson. “To watch him, for me, especially, it’s kind of like a roller coaster ride when you go down that first drop, and the excitement builds up, and that feeling in your stomach when he wins.

"We're so proud of him.”

The Greco-Roman wrestling competition starts in Paris on Monday, Aug. 5.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com . Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: 'We're so proud of him': Cheboygan residents cheering on grandson, Olympian Adam Coon