For Sha’Carri, getting into the starting blocks was about doing the job. However, it also reminded her that happiness had to be earned and that joy awaited at the finish line.
Sha’Carri Richardson celebrating as she crossed the finishing line of the Women’s 4×100-meter Relay Final during the World Athletics Championships on August 26, 2023, in Budapest, Hungary. | Source: Getty Images
Each race was a reflective journey that brought to mind all the moments from her youth that shaped her. The feelings she experienced as a little girl remained with her, reminding her of the hard work and dedication that brought there.
Sha’Carri felt that every moment on the track was special because it included all her past experiences, both good and bad, leading her to where she was meant to be.
The Olympian emphasized the importance of showing up consistently, no matter what. She acknowledged that many people only think about track and field every four years during the Olympics, focusing on those brief moments on TV.
However, for her, track was a daily commitment. Every choice she made — what she ate, drank, and how she managed her time — directly impacted her performance. This daily dedication was what the world often did not see.
Sha’Carri Richardson during the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials on June 19, 2021, in Eugene, Oregon. | Source: Getty Images
Her relentless dedication was clear in her training routine at Montverde Academy in central Florida. Sha’Carri joined her teammates on the pristine track for practice sessions that ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.
Central to her strength and perseverance was her grandmother, a tough woman who also made the track star tough.
Her grandmother’s unwavering support and wisdom were key in shaping her resilience. When times were tough, her grandmother’s straightforward advice was, “Don’t start nothing and don’t finish it. You start, you finish. Whatever happens, you keep going, you hear?”
This influence was touchingly displayed in a viral moment when Sha’Carri sprinted up the stands to embrace her grandmother, celebrating one of her performances.
Sha’Carri wholeheartedly agreed with her grandmother’s words, saying that she owed everything to the strong, wise Black woman who raised her. While others also helped her along the way, her grandmother laid the foundation for her success.
Being raised by a strong Black woman led Sha’Carri to embrace her identity as well. “I would say that’s where I got my confidence from. Just the fact of being in a community, being from South Dallas, that is predominantly Black,” Sha’Carri shared.
“I’m going to stand in who I am at the end of the day. I’m not going to change that,” she revealed. However, being an inspiring figure for Black women across the nation and the globe was not an easy task.
Sha’Carri pointed out the double standards often faced by Black women, noting that behaviors considered sassy or aggressive in Black women might be seen differently if done by others.
“One of the most powerful Black men said it, but the most disrespected person in the United States is [the] Black woman,” Sha’Carri added. However, she remained grateful for her heritage.
From her early days in Dallas to breaking records on the world stage, Sha’Carri Richardson has consistently shown her dedication to track and field. Her vibrant style and proud embrace of her Black identity, along with the unwavering support of her grandmother, continue to inspire and empower.
