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Residents might see a familiar face this year during the Olympic track and field events if an athlete's trials go well.

Former Burlington resident Michael Bingham will try out for the United Kingdom's Olympic team this weekend during the U.K.'s track and field trials.

The U.S. trials ended Sunday.

As a citizen of both countries, Bingham had a choice.

"He was born here, but his father is British," said his mother, Mollissie Peterson-Bingham.

If he makes the team, Bingham will run the 400-meter and join the small cadre of American-born athletes who will compete for other countries in Beijing.

Though he will be competing for the U.K. if chosen, Bingham still has strong ties to the U.S., the Triad in particular.

Not only does his family live in Burlington, he still has one year of eligibility left on his track scholarship at Wake Forest University.

"Last year he got red-shirted because of his injury," his mother said. "Before he got hurt, he wanted to become an Olympian."

Because of his injury - a sports hernia - Bingham was not able to train as rigorously as his American counterparts for the U.S. trials without the risk of further injury.

After realizing he did have time to train for the U.K. trials, Bingham, who represented the U.S. in the Pan-Am games, started the process of withdrawing from the U.S. team.

The opportunity to compete in the Olympics is only a fraction of what makes Bingham special, his mom said.

Bingham, 22, the eldest of six children, stepped in to help his mother at the age of 9, when his father left the family.

"Him being the oldest, I did ask for his help a lot," Peterson-Bingham said.

Though he couldn't work to help support the family, he did help his mother by looking out for his siblings while she worked and setting a positive example for them.

At the age of 14, Bingham was awarded a merit scholarship to attend high school at the McCallie School in Chattanooga.

"At that time, I don't think he'd ever made a 'B'," his mother said.

It was at McCallie that he grew to love track. Becoming a standout runner and maintaining good grades earned him an athletic scholarship to Wake Forest.

Though he had enough credits to graduate this spring, Bingham plans to return to complete his remaining year of eligibility and add another major to his course of study.

"I feel like he set a good precedent for my other children," Peterson-Bingham said.

"He set the bar high, but he opened the door wide for them."

Of Peterson-Bingham's eldest children, her 17-year-old son Adrian is doing well as a rising senior at Williams High School. Her 15-year-old daughter Shantell earned a scholarship to Episcopal High School, a boarding school in Alexandria, Va.

The 14-year-old, Johnna , has also earned a scholarship to The Elon School.

Peterson-Bingham also has a 10-year-old, Zachary, who has Down Syndrome, and a 3-year-old, Bobbi Faith.

It is because of the eldest Bingham child that his siblings have been able to achieve so much, Peterson-Bingham said.

"We're proud of him," she added.

And he's proud too.

"It is hard to imagine how a scrawny little black boy, from dirt could actually be blessed by God," Bingham said on his blog.

"What makes me proud is the support that I have had from my family and friends ... I couldn't thank them enough."

You can read Bingham's blog at: http://littlekidinabigworld.blogspot.com.

Contact Tiffany S. Jones at 449-4731 or tiffany.jones@news-record.com