'Ones To Watch' at the 2024 Olympics in Paris: Meghan Musnicki & CJ Nickolas

1st Look's 'Ones To Watch' series on NBC showcases four Olympic hopefuls and their amazing stories as we count down the days to Paris 2024. In this first installment, part 1, we link up with powerhouse Meghan Musnicki and Taekwondo all-star CJ Nickolas to learn more about their respective journeys on the road to gold, including all the extraordinary hurdles they had to overcome to compete at the summer Olympics.

There’s been a lot of chatter about Meghan Musnicki, age 41, being the oldest rower to ever compete at the Olympic Games. And while it’s always impressive to see a competitive athlete grow stronger and more agile with each passing year, it’s not surprising at all when it comes to this fierce contender. Not only is Meg one of the most decorated athletes in the sport, but her story deviates from the norm. From being a walk-on at a local division 3 college to being cut 3 times by the US national team, Meghan overcame obstacle after obstacle. Determined, focused, and equipped with a rigorous training schedule that would leave many people breathless in mere minutes, she achieved what most would have deemed an impossible dream: earning a spot on the women’s rowing team at the Olympics…in Rio, London, and Tokyo. And now, four years later, Meghan is back in action, ready to give it 110% as she and her incredible teammates chase gold one more time. 💪🏅

At 22, CJ Nickolas is Taekwondo’s brightest star. Ranked 2nd in the world, he is truly a top contender to watch this summer in Paris. As an acrobatic, dynamic and energetic athlete, CJ attributes his success on the mat to his groundbreaking fighting style — a technique so different, he’s actually impacting the sport in exciting new ways. Another thing just as unique as his moves? His story, which kicks off with a loving single mother in search of a family activity. A year after CJ’s mom enrolled him and his sister in taekwondo class, she married the instructor, who became CJ’s lifelong coach and role model. While most kids after school were out playing with their friends, CJ was enjoying family time on the mat with his mom, sister and new dad. Eighteen years later, all that mat time paid off, and now, CJ, a driven and tough-as-nails athlete who's overcome numerous obstacles to turn turn his dream of competing on Team USA into a reality, is ready to show the world what focus, excellence, and perseverance really look like. 🥋🏅 #olympics #taekwondo #rowing #sports #paris2024

Subscribe to 1st Look on YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/1stlookyoutubesub
1st Look INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2MhlPsA
1st Look TWITTER: https://bit.ly/2CrNhiR
1st Look FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/2TXRMJa

Watch 1st Look Saturday’s after SNL on NBC!