Port Arthur isn’t home to Olympic Stadium, but that’s what makes the journey special.

There isn’t an Olympic Village here, but it’s an Olympian’s village. A village to many Olympians, young and old, as time has revealed.

Inika McPherson knows this all too well. She’s now an Olympian.

Just a week from now, she’ll walk around the track in Rio de Janeiro, in front of the world.

Amazing, isn’t it?

Amazing that we can go from feting Wade Phillips at Bob Bowers to following Andrew Landry on the U.S. Open leaderboard to Stephen Jackson back on a local basketball court to Inika McPherson in Rio. It’s almost supernatural.

Just take a step back and think about that. Can you wrap your head around that? No way you can be used to that.

Now, take it all in.

This isn’t Houston, folks, where at least one Olympian can be expected.

This is Port Arthur, home to a 2016 Olympian. You didn’t really need me to tell you that, though, did you?

Someone from right here is following a long, storied tradition of Jefferson County in the high jump.

It all started with Babe Zaharias. Buddy Davis struck gold a generation later. Amy Acuff followed in tradition five times.

And somewhere in Prairie View, just as she did nearly 25 years ago in Barcelona, Barbara Jacket will be smiling.

Take a step back and think about that. Think about those names.

Now, take it all in.

Tonight, Port Arthur will be Olympic Village. Memorial High’s gymnasium will be the venue. Noisy all the same, right?

Well, maybe not all the same.

The crowd will all be in Inika’s favor. She and everyone in the arena will be pepped up.

In the Olympic spirit, yet? If not, just come to the gym for her pep rally before 7 tonight. Doors open at 6.

The hometown favorite is home. Let her know you are, too.

When you cheer Inika, at Memorial or in front of a large screen during Week 2 of the Olympics, think about Babe, Buddy, Amy and Barbara.

But celebrate Inika. And Vashti Cunningham and Chaunte Lowe.

Celebrate Simone Biles and DeAndre Jordan and Stacy Lewis.   

While we don’t know who will bear the American flag next Friday — or even 16 days later at the closing ceremony, we know what flag McPherson will bear. We know what torch she carries.

It’s a torch neither Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Kevin Durant nor Justin Gatlin can carry, unless it represents their own hometowns.

Yeah, that torch.

If it’s not already lit inside you, either you ain’t from here or you don’t live here.

•

I.C. Murrell can be reached at 721-2435 or at ic.murrell@panews.com. On Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews