BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) — BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV)-- A 12-year-old went viral earlier this year after video of her running at 17 miles an hour on a treadmill was shared on social media. But there's more to her story.

“I really enjoy doing it and it’s something I think I can go far in. And one of my main goals that I always say is I want to go to the 2024 Olympics,” said 12-year-old sprinter Jaiya Patillo.

Jaiya is well on her way to accomplishing that goal. The 200 and 400-meter track star is already a 9-time Junior Olympian.

Her father, Kevin Patillo, said he saw potential in her as an athlete early on.

“I was laying down sideways on my sofa at home and I would hear Jaiya running and I happened to look at her legs and her legs were not just walking, but they were striding. At that point, I knew she would be a runner,” said Kevin.

Since the age of seven, she’s succeeded in every competitive championship meet she’s ran in, advancing yearly to nationals in both USA Track and Field and the Amateur Athletic Union.

“We’re just proud. We’re just here to support her and be there to make sure she gets as far in life as she wants to go,” said Lt. Col. Sheree Patillo, Jaiya’s mother.

Jaiya has lived in the area for nearly four years, moving here from Ohio after her mother was assigned to Offutt Air Force Base.

“I was so excited to come here when my wife got orders to come here because I remember the Tom Osborne days and the University of Nebraska football. I said, 'Oh man, we are going to a sports state,'” Kevin said.

Jaiya has only improved since coming to Nebraska. She trains multiple times a week.

A video of one training session has gone viral online showing Jaiya running on a treadmill at 17 miles an hour.

“We had started sort of slow, we started at like 12 or 13, and we had planned on stopping at 15, but my coach said it looked like I was jogging so we went up to 17. And I could have went up to 18 but he wanted to stay on the safe side,” said Jaiya.

The video has been seen over 100 million times across multiple platforms, but despite her widespread success...

“The main thing that I focus on is staying humble, staying true to who I am and staying focused,” said Jaiya.

When Jaiya was 11, she hit her personal record times with 26.34 seconds in the 200-meter and 58.78 seconds in the 400-meter.

Her mother said she doesn’t just excel on the track — she succeeds in academics, too.

This story originally reported by Danielle Meadows on 3NewsNow.com.

Video above from 2019: CeCe Telfer wins women's 400-meter hurdles at NCAA championshipIn 2019, track and field athlete CeCe Telfer became the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA title (in the 400m hurdles, her signature event).Now, she's got her eyes on the top podium in the world — the 2021 Tokyo Olympic games. If she qualifies, she could become one of the first openly transgender athletes to compete in any Olympic event, ever. Even if she doesn't, Telfer is already making history.Outside of working tirelessly at her sport, she's using her voice to create change in the world of athletics, a world that has historically been riddled with discrimination and prejudice against trans athletes. It's a reality Telfer knows all too well. Though her college track team at Franklin Pierce University was supportive of her running, as she shares in a profile for the New York Times, she struggled to find a coach who would guide her on her Olympic journey, as well as adequate training resources.She’s also been subjected to additional regulations: As mandated by the International Olympic Committee’s eligibility requirements, in order to compete, she had to suppress her testosterone levels and sustain them for at least a year. Though there is little conclusive evidence to support the notion that transgender athletes have a competitive advantage in sports, it hasn’t stopped a recent wave of restrictive, anti-trans sports bans and laws (up to 80) across various levels of competition in the United States.Earlier this month, Florida passed legislation that bars trans women from competing on women’s teams in public schools and colleges. The bans are discriminatory and stigmatizing to transgender athletes, many of whom just want to do what they love without constant comment and questions. As Telfer told the New York Times, a huge motivator for her to compete is to empower young transgender athletes to chase their own dreams. "It’s important for me to do it for my people — whether it be women, Black people, transgender people, LGBTQ people —anybody who is scrutinized and oppressed."At this point, it's unclear whether or not Telfer will get the chance to compete at the Olympic trials, which begin this weekend in Eugene, Oregon. (Her event is on June 25th.) To qualify to race in the trials, athletes must have a time of 56.50, and Telfer's best clocks in a second behind.However, due to pandemic-related training challenges, USA Track and Field has stated that as many as 28 athletes could race at trials; Telfer is 28th in the field. Regardless of whether she races at trials or ultimately makes the Olympic team (she'd have to finish in the top three at trials), Telfer has changed the future of athletics. She’s one of a handful of openly transgender Olympic hopefuls whose journey serves as a source of inspiration for other aspiring athletes. (Trans cycling athlete Chelsea Wolfe was just selected as an alternate for the U.S. Women’s BMX Freestyle team.)Telfer is already lending her voice and sharing her story in hopes of creating long-lasting, systemic change in the world of both noncompetitive and professional athletics. She is working to make sports a safe space for everyone who wishes to compete. Win or lose, Telfer is already blazing the track (and, trail!) for a more inclusive future. And that's something truly medal-worthy.

In February 2020, Elle Purrier was on top of the track world. “The Millrose Mile, when I broke the American Record was a huge stepping stone. A turning point in my career. And then after that the whole world just kind of stopped,” Purrier said.When the Tokyo Olympics were postponed, Purrier seemed to be on the path all Olympic hopefuls aspire to – peaking ahead of the trials. However, one record was no peak.“Honestly, I feel like it is just kind of better, I feel like a much better athlete now. I have a whole year of training and mileage under my belt,” Purrier said.In the extra time, Purrier added the 2-mile indoor American record to her resume, as well as the world’s best 1500-meter time this season. However, the accolades here in the United States are not what she’s locked in on. “Medaling in the Olympics would be the ultimate goal. I really think I can do it if It’s the right day and the right race,” Purrier said.Growing up on a Vermont dairy farm, a young Purrier didn’t always talk about Olympic medals. “I feel like as a young kid I didn’t ever think that I would be a runner, especially at this level. It’s kind of funny to think back to that. Honestly, I am still getting used to this ‘Elle’ the confidence has come over a long period of time,” Purrier said. Purrier accredits her newfound confidence to physical and mental toughness, as well as staying in her own lane. “I have had a different path to get to where I am as compared to all the people that I am competing against, so me not comparing myself to them,” Purrier said.She’s confident, yet grounded. With hopes to truly experience her Olympic moment.“It would be the ultimate goal to represent my country, and I hope I can really enjoy those moments, if I make it there, you know, just really be there,” Purrier said.A place that only a small percentage of people can say they have ever been.