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Watch as an emotional Sara Vaughn reacts to making her first worlds team at 31

The mother of three booked her ticket to London and the IAAF World Championships with a third-place finish at the USATF Championships

Sara Vaughn

One of the feel-good stories from the 2017 United States Track and Field (USATF) Championships was Sara Vaughn qualifying for her first senior outdoor team at the age of 31.

The mother of three and realtor based in Boulder, Colo. finished third in the women’s 1,500m at the U.S. Championships in Sacramento, Calif. By reaching the podium, and having hit the necessary qualifying standard earlier this year, she made the American team for the 2017 IAAF World Championships.

Jenny Simpson and Kate Grace finished 1-2, as expected, with Vaughn playing the role of the underdog clocking 4:07.85 for third. Citius Mag reports that Vaughn went from ninth to third over the final 400m and closed the last lap in 61 seconds. She was in fifth with 50m to go before passing Alexa Efraimson and Lauren Johnson on the homestretch.

Earlier this year, the American ran a 1,500m personal best of 4:06.64. Speaking to the media after the race, Vaughn said that she will be bringing her three daughters to London this summer for the world championships.

“I have a 22 month old and her favorite line is ‘No, my turn.’ That’s what I was thinking at the end of the race,” she said after her performance.

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