ATHENS, Pennsylvania — It was a champion's welcome home in Bradford County.
Izaak Hobday was paraded through the streets of his hometown after winning gold and silver medals in this year's Special Olympics held in Berlin, Germany.
"One of them is a 5K, for a 5K for second place, then the 1,500 first place with 5:26," Izaak said.
Two of Izaak's biggest fans are his father, Kenneth Ball, and grandmother Denise Hibbard.
The two say the medals hanging around Izaak's neck show that anyone can accomplish anything if they work hard enough.
"They're all here to show support to the kid that not only earned it but went above what anybody could've expected him to do and accomplish a goal that he set," Ball said.
"And when he was on the podium, he was congratulating, and he made sure he shook everybody's hand, and he did that even off the podium for events he wasn't involved in," Hibbard said.
The parade ended at Athens Area High School, where community members like Mike Henrich spoke about what it's like to see Izaak back home.
"Yes, this parade is for Izaak, but in a big part, it's also for the community to celebrate his success," he said.
At the end of the ceremony, Izaak was presented with a certificate from the Athens Township Board of Supervisors that will cement his accomplishments for decades to come.
Now Izaak says it's time for a new goal, representing the USA at the Special Olympics in 2027.
There’s a wonderful place that you really should see called The Land of Hatchy Milatchy.