Olympic Champion Ashleigh Johnson Honored by High School Alma Mater, Ransom Everglades School

It's a welcome befitting an Olympic champion - especially one who once walked the hallways at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove.

Ashleigh Johnson was back at her old stomping grounds after helping the us Olympic women's water polo team take home gold in Rio de Janeiro.

"It's just so cool to be back and have these people here to support me,” Johnson said.

She answered questions from students and talked about what motivated her to aim for the top and succeed.

"My path kind of led me to it, but it became my dream once I decided that I was going to do it and it became my biggest goal,” said Johnson.

While at ransom everglades, Ashleigh won four state titles in water polo and one in swimming. The excitement of competing in the Olympics is still there in Ashleigh’s voice

"I’ve never played in front of a crowd that big or that loud,” said Johnson. “It was like playing in a soccer game in Brazil, it was so cool.”

But she's says it's now time to take off the medal and head back to school at Princeton University.

Head of school Penny Townsend hopes current students walk away inspired.

"When you get to introduce to the whole school to a former student who's done what she's done and who actually embodies all the good that we hope for in our students, you get emotional,” said Townsend.

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