Record-breaking runner Sha’Carri Richardson has achieved quite a bit in her 24 years. Her track career began in middle school when she secured both regional and state championships. By the time she made it to high school, Sha’Carri made headlines when she reached high school. During her sophomore year, she earned the 2016 Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics Champion in the 100-meter while attending David W. Carter High School in her hometown of Dallas, Texas. The very next year, she earned another accolade, securing the bronze medal in the 200 meters at the USA Track and Field (USATF) National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships.

After exiting high school, she took her track career to the college level, joining Louisiana State University, where she won her first NCAA title. That 2019 trophy was for Sha’Carri, completing the 100-meter dash in just 10.75 seconds. She decided to leave college that same and pursue a career in a professional career in track and field. This proved a good decision for Sha’Carri, who landed her first Nike contract. Her career was skyrocketing, though several setbacks nearly derailed her for good. Thankfully, this Texas girl bounced back rather quickly.

“Fastest woman in the world” is a record Sha’Carri shares with Florence Griffith-Joyner, sometimes referred to as “Flo-Jo.” There is some debate on whether or not Sha’Carri beat Flo-Jo’s record and is set to take her spot in 100m runs. However, Sha’Carri has noted being inspired by Griffith-Joyner in the past.

She Has Had to Face Personal Challenges in Front of the World

The year 2021 was a year of ups and downs for Sha’Carri. She was quickly soaring to the ranks of the greatest runners in the world. In April of that year, she became the sixth-fastest woman in the world and the fourth-fastest American woman in history, thanks to finishing 10.72 seconds in the 100-meter dash.

Sadly, in June, she announced that her biological mother had passed away while speaking with reporters after running the 100-meter in Eugene, Oregon. This ultimately earned her a spot on the Tokyo Olympic team.

“Last week finding out my biological mother passed away and still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here and still making sure to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud,” she shared with NBC at the time.

"I'm highly blessed and grateful… My family is my everything. My everything until the day I'm done."

Sha'Carri Richardson with so many emotions after earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.@usatf | #TrackFieldTrials21 x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/8ujBpBSwVC
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 20, 2021

Unfortunately, her Olympic dreams were shattered when July 2021 drug test results confirmed that Sha’Carri tested positive for marijuana. This violated the Olympic regulations, ultimately disqualifying her from competing. Sha’Carri did not deny smoking cannabis but maintained she’d only done so to cope with losing her mother.

Still, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was not swayed. This caused immense backlash, with many slamming the athlete for ruining her shot. However, fans rallied around her, including former basketball star Rex Chapman, who felt the runner deserved grace after learning of such a profound tragedy. Thankfully, Sha’Carri did not allow the scandal to define her or her career.

So Sha’Carri Richardson should just “follow the rules” after finding out her biological mother had just died but the folks who attacked the nation’s Capitol following a free and fair election should be allowed to skate without investigation? Got it.
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) July 2, 2021

Sha’Carri Had an Epic Comeback

Sha’Carri put herself back out there in 2022, though she struggled initially. During the June U.S. track and field championships in New York, she finished fifth in the 100-meter. However, she still won first place in the 200m. However, she redeemed herself in August, winning the 100-meter in just 11.29 seconds in Lucerne, Switzerland.

In August 2023, she once again proved her worthiness of an Olympic medal by winning her first global title, the 100-meter at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a time of 10.65. It quickly became apparent that Sha’Carri would be competing in the Paris Olympics, and this was confirmed in June 2024. After returning to the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, Sha’Carri won the 100-meter final, securing her place on the team.

During the Big Games, she delivered, winning the silver medal in the women’s 100-meter race on August 3. She quickly followed up with her first Olympic gold medal in the 4×100 relay with a time of 41.78 seconds on August 9. A month after bringing home the gold, the Dallas Independent School District celebrated Sha’Carri’s victories by renaming the track at Kincaid Stadium after her. This is located at Carter High School, where Sha’Carri honed her skills.

While her journey is far from done, this runner’s redemption story is one written straight out of a movie script.

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