It was a difficult choice, but Toni-Ann Williams has no regrets choosing her parents’ country Jamaica over her birthplace of the United States of America to pursue her Olympic dream. “It was at first, because being in gymnastics they trained us for the US team, so all my life I have been thinking US, US,” Williams, who will participate in the artistic section of the Olympics’ gymnastic section in Rio, told Jamaica Observer.

“But my parents took me down to Jamaica and I saw some of the gyms here, and I realised that there is an opportunity in Jamaica and I can make a difference and bring gymnastics to a country that didn’t have much of it,” she pointed out.

Williams, 20, who attends the University of California, Berkeley, was born in Maryland to Jamaicans Toni Williams and Marlene Hylton — Williams, the sister of former People National Party (PNP) minister Anthony Hylton.

Toni-Ann, whose parents moved to the US in the 1990s, has three siblings, Kristine, Zitafa and Maya. Maya is also on Jamaica’s gymnastics team.

She finished 38th overall with a 52.931 total in the all-round at the Rio Olympic Test in April and historically qualified for the Olympic Games set for August.

Williams will be proudly wearing the green, black and gold of Jamaica at the Olympic Games and will march alongside the likes of athletics superstars Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, swimming sensation Alia Atkinson, and fellow first-timer Yona Knight-Wisdom, who made history as the first diver for Jamaica to make it to the Olympics.

Thought and the magnitude of her achievement has not resonated fully with Williams as yet.

“No, actually it still not has soaked in as yet and it will not be until I get there. I have been to Rio before, so maybe not until after the tournament it will really soak into me. But I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity,” she said.

Young Williams will be added to Jamaica’s rich sporting history and her name will forever be mentioned once gymnastics is referred to. She is already a pioneer and an icon.

“It’s scary to think about that. I am glad they look to me as an inspiration. But it’s scary to think about though,” said a smiling Williams.

Williams, who in 2015 made the NCAA Championships as an individual and won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honour, had to make another difficult decision between representing her university and chasing her Olympic dream in 2016.

Williams skipped her NCAA championship and went to Brazil for the Rio Olympic Test, which was a qualifier to the Olympic Games.

“That took a lot of preparation and at the same time leading up to that event, I was competing for my college team…13 weeks in a row, and it was something that took a lot of balance and focus for me,” she revealed.

“On the day of the event, I had to choose between my NCAA team and competing at the testing level, which was a hard decision.

“But I knew I had to do this for Jamaica since I was 15-years-old, so it’s a decision that was tough, but I knew it was the right decision,” she pointed out.

“I just want to do my best and push myself to be the best that I can be and represent Jamaica in the best way that I can, and hopefully make people proud and inspire the kids so that they can do the same thing,” said Williams.