She knows the thrill of achieving one's dreams.

And - most importantly - she knows sharing those dreams with family and friends makes them more special than ever.

The 2006 Pleasantville High School graduate will compete in the 100-meter hurdles when the Olympics begin in Rio de Janiero on Friday. Ali, 27, made the U.S. team by finishing third at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, last month.

"I can't find the words to describe how excited I am," she said in a telephone interview from her Los Angeles home last month. "I'm so excited I get to represent the country, and I get to do it with my whole family there."