We all associate Usain Bolt as the Jamaican messiah who brought the country to the track and field limelight. However, even before Bolt, a female track and field star emerged, announcing the Jamaican legacy in style. After a drought of 28 long years, this Jamaican athlete became the nation’s first Olympic flat sprint champion. As she went on to win 8 Olympic medals in all, the Jamaican legend was forced to choose an American college to fuel her track and field dreams. Now, after all these years, while she looked back at her decorated career, the track star revealed a surprising name as her biggest rival. 

Well, the athlete we are talking about is none other than Veronica Campbell-Brown. Trying to make it big in the track and field world, Veronica Campbell-Brown was forced to get a scholarship for her in American colleges. And while all her hard work paid off, Campbell-Brown steadily made her way up the track and field ladder. And quite naturally, there was some fierce competition as she went on conquering tracks one after the other. In a recent interaction on the Ready Set Go podcast, Campbell-Brown stated that she had hung around long enough to have some of the brutal rivalries. However, one among them particularly stood out. 

“l’ve had a lot of great rivalries but if I should think about um the 200 it would be Allison I know yeah we we race over the years for many years,” said Campbell-Brown. She recalled the time when the duo went back and forth between the Olympics and the World Championships. It was Campbell-Brown who won the Olympics 200m while Allyson Felix won the World Championship crown. However, it was in 2011 when Campbell-Brown finally had success winning the 200m in World Championships. 

On the contrary, Felix too, did not lag far behind. Come the London Olympics, Felix registered a thumping win to clinch the 200m gold medal in the Olympics. Shedding light further into their rivalry, Veronica Campbell-Brown noted, “I enjoyed racing Allison I she’s very Fierce I know that she don’t like to lose just just just just like myself and um she’s resilient so whenever I show up to race her I know I have to br my a game because she’s going to show up ready.” This virtue of Felix actually helped Campbell-Brown significantly. Because she knew how tough the competition can be, Campbell-Brown always got herself motivated. 

Veronica Campbell-Brown also went on to say how the dynamics changed with time. As she kept competing, athletes of the newer generations also began coming up. Names like Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce and more also competed with Campbell-Brown. Meanwhile, as she had everyone standing up in admiration to her, none of these would have been possible if not for her scholarship.

Veronica Campbell-Brown opens up about financial struggles and college decision

Veronica Campbell-Brown recently revealed how her financial struggles nearly derailed her track and field career before it even began. Speaking with Rodney Green and Gatlin, Campbell Brown shared how she had no choice but to pursue an American college scholarship to keep her dream alive.

“The main goal was to get a scholarship and leave Jamaica because there is no way my parents could have afforded to send me to college in Jamaica,” Campbell Brown admitted. Without financial support, her path to stardom seemed uncertain. A scholarship was not just an opportunity. But it was her only option. He further added, “It was an opportunity to continue improving my education, continue improving in my track career.”

However, her path to a Division 1 program was blocked due to low SAT scores. “I did not have all the requirements for D1. I did not have the proper SAT score first of all, because in Jamaica the SAT is not something we normally do,” she explained. The lack of early guidance also played a role, “And I didn’t get into a mentorship program soon enough to get the high score.” Faced with limited options, Campbell Brown had to make a difficult decision.

The eight-time Olympic medalist shared, “So, in the end, I had to make a choice, and Barton County College was a great place.” The junior college route ultimately set her on the path to greatness, proving that even the most challenging starts can lead to remarkable success.