Battling Injuries Nonstop, Olympic Track & Field Star Gets Candid About Career’s ‘Depressing’ Setbacks After Grand Slam Track Disappointment

A star Jamaican sprint hurdler about whom fans can’t get enough of—a 22-year-old phenom who runs like the wind and wears her heart on her sleeve. Straight out of Kingston’s track dynasty, she’s been a name to watch since her teenage days, but her career’s been a wild ride of highs and crushing lows, littered with injuries and setbacks from a body that won’t quit throwing curveballs. And the latest twist came at the Grand Slam Track meet on April 5, 2025.

Ackera Nugent clocked 12.75 and 11.57 seconds in Race 1 and Race 2, respectively, in the 100m hurdles, settling for third place with 13 points just behind Tia Jones and Daniel Williams, who secured 15 and 20 points, respectively. It’s not the result you expect from a former Olympic hopeful who once owned Jamaica’s national record at 12.28 seconds.

Remember Paris 2024? She crashed out of the 100m hurdles final on August 10, clipping hurdles and veering off for a DNF as Masai Russell took gold in 12.33 seconds. Injuries—ankle, hamstring, spinal—keep dogging her, and she’s not shy about the toll. How does a star this bright keep shining through the setbacks?

Nugent’s story is all about resilience, and it started early. Back in 2018, at 16, she was torching tracks at Excelsior High School, nailing a U18 world best of 13.15 seconds in the 100m hurdles, as Trackalerts noted on October 27. Her coach, Andrew Burnett, dubbed her “mentally tough,” and she proved it in 2021, snagging the World U20 title in Nairobi with a 12.95-second run. By 2024, she’d hit 12.28 seconds, a Jamaican record, only to see Paris unravel with that DNF, blamed on a spinal tweak and hamstring woes. Post-Grand Slam, she laid it bare in an interview with Citius Mag: “The transition is hard… My first two seasons were like a professional; it has been a bit depressing for me and I haven’t really been liking the sport as much.” The pro scene is “just business,” she says, a far cry from the fun she once knew. Still, she’s “finding my light,” connecting with fans to stay grounded. But what happened at GST to bring this raw honesty out?

Can this mental toughness carry her past the physical grind, or is the sport’s business side breaking her down?

Nugent opens up on her career in track After Grand Slam Track race

After the meet, Nugent shared a raw perspective; the seasoned athlete spoke openly about how the sport she loves has increasingly taken on the weight of a business, sapping some of the joy she once felt in competition. “It’s not a fun thing anymore; it’s just business, so I’m just finding my light, um, and I think I’m connecting more with the crowd.” Her words resonated with fans and observers at the Grand Slam Track, a high-profile series that draws top-tier talent and significant commercial attention, amplifying the pressures athletes face.

Nugent’s remarks followed a race where her speed and tenacity captivated the audience, yet her focus in the interview was less on the result and more on the broader evolution of her experience in the sport. “I don’t know; I just feel like competition-wise it’s not fun,” she admitted, grappling with the shift in perspective that has come with time. “But then I have to understand that it’s like business. But I’m just like, regardless, before we all came here it was just like we were all just doing this, but I guess it’s just different as you get older and the sports change so.”

The Grand Slam Track, with its global broadcast reach and lucrative sponsorships, exemplifies the modern era of athletics—a far cry from the grassroots passion that often draws young athletes to the sport. Nugent captured this shift with quiet introspection: “I feel like as I get along and I get older, you start to realize like everybody in the professional world is like, out for themselves.” Her words point to a growing sense of individualism in the pro ranks, where personal branding and career longevity can eclipse the camaraderie of earlier years. Yet she remains grounded, seeking to rediscover her spark through the electric connection with the crowd, who roared in support during her race.