Arriving at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, for the U.S. Olympic team track and field trials a few weeks ago, Vernon Turner knew he had to beat the score of one other high jumper to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The track and field system works on a point-based scale and athletes must rank in the top 32 globally to qualify for the Olympics. So even though Turner failed to reach the finals during the trials, he accumulated enough points to earn the final spot on the U.S. high jump team.

Turner didn’t learn of his bid until Sunday when Olympic gold medalist high jumper Erik Kynard Jr. phoned him to officially share the news. Turner was forced to wait weeks after the trials finished to learn he was an Olympian due to the world ranking needing updated.

“I called my mom and she was screaming,” Turner told The Oklahoman on Wednesday. “It was a surreal feeling.”

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, but raised in Yukon, Turner is the lone U.S. Olympian out of 592 athletes to represent Oklahoma. The former OU track and field standout is a new face on the team and one of the youngest high jumpers in the field.

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It’s easy for the 25-year-old Turner to look back now on the many lessons the sport has taught him and know that he’ll always have this honor. But his journey to get to this point was far from facile.

Turner finished dead last at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

He had just clinched the 2022 indoor high jump national title. Dealing with injuries from the grind of his final collegiate season and finally able to say he’d achieved one of his most significant goals of making his first world team, Turner admits he grew complacent.

“I was just one of the people that was happy to be there,” Turner said. “There are always those people and yeah, it's cool to be there. But for me, I think I'm one of those people that knows that they can do more than just be there, and they should want more to be there. So I think that's somewhere I’ve grown.”

Turner redeemed himself at this year’s worlds competition in Glasgow, Scotland, where he finished sixth. The moment signified to him that he wasn’t just a name on a list of dozens of high jumpers, but his face belonged on the world stage.

Reflecting on the past two years, Turner now realizes he was navigating one of the darkest times in his life around the time he won nationals. And after his disappointing showing a year later, he decided to shut it down and focus on training for 2024.

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“The mental game is tough,” Turner said. “Throughout my whole career, it's been up and down. … Learning the mental part of it is so huge. You have to mature and just be able to focus on one thing. You can't let moments be bigger than you.”

Becoming an Olympian takes immense dedication.

Turner’s grueling routine the last 10 months training in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, includes an hour and a half practice beginning at 9 a.m. His day consists of weight lifting, a meeting with trainers, going home to eat a healthy meal, a bit more training and more nutrients while recovering until the cycle picks back up the next day.

He mastered staying disciplined during his years as a Sooner. He credits his growth to vertical jumps coach Jerel Langley and former head coach Tim Langford, who was ousted in November.

“They always showed me love, always treated me with respect and made sure that I wasn't overseen,” Turner said. “They knew the potential that I had, and they didn't let that get outshine by anything. Not basketball, not football, nothing. So I was just lucky enough to be in such a great place that cares about their athletes to that high of a level.”

Growing up in Oklahoma, football and basketball were the dominant youth sports. Turner was primarily a basketball player and was dunking by his freshman year of high school until his coach forced him to go out for track and field.

He’s been representing his state across the country and the world ever since.

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“It means everything. Oklahoma is a special place, there's a lot of special people,” Turner said. “Kids get overlooked in Oklahoma. It’s always been my mission to wear the city on my back. Those kids deserve a chance. I deserved a chance. And you see what happens with that.

“It took me eight years to get where I'm at, just pushing through perseverance. It's an Oklahoma thing. (People say), ‘Oklahoma strong.’ There's only one. And I truly do mean that. I'm just grateful to be able to jump in the Olympics for something that's bigger than myself.”

Before he heads abroad, Turner is searching for small businesses in Oklahoma to collaborate with. There’s also been a GoFundMe created to help send his mother and stepfather to Paris, a trip they’ve had less than a month to prepare for.

While the world awaited the official Olympic teams release the past few weeks, Turner already knew he’d punched his ticket. But he didn’t dare tell anyone in case he’d jinx it.

When Kynard delivered the go-ahead, Turner had already celebrated but it was a special moment for his family. He’s approached the last week the same way he trains, with a learned maturity and level headedness.

There will no doubt be more lessons learned over the next few weeks as the summer games commence July 26.

“It's a learning curve that I've had to learn,” Turner said, “but I'm figuring it out as I go.”

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2024 Paris Olympic Games

• When: July 26 through August 11

• Where: Paris, France

• Track & field: Runs August 1-11 (men's high jump begins Aug. 7)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Inside Vernon Turner's journey from Oklahoma to 2024 Paris Olympics