Nobody can carry the weight of expectations for too long. And Julien Alfred is no exception. Imagine being the first person in your country to win an Olympic gold medal! Obviously, that means you have a sea of eyes watching you with hopes every time you step on the track. While that can be a huge flex, it’s also daunting! But since she can’t really change that, Julien Alfred has found a way to strike a balance.

Julien Alfred has been in this space before. In 2024, she secured the first-ever global medal for Saint Lucia with a 6.98-second win in the women’s 60 meters. And with this win at the World Indoor Championship, she was put on a pedestal by everyone. But could she handle the burden and the hopes? Nope. She crumbled faster than a stack of dominoes. However, the 2024 Paris Olympics fame was way bigger. So what saved her from shattering this time?

In the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix press conference on February 1, Julien Alfred was asked to spill the beans on how she has managed to maintain her mental health while competing after the 2024 crisis. That’s when she commented, “I leaned on my support system. My coach, my agent, those around me.” But there had to be some personal realizations too. Alfred confessed, “Going to therapy really helped me um, and just realizing you know why I’m doing this for, why I’m running.”

Julien Alfred self-admittedly acknowledged that she’d been placing too much pressure on herself. Every time she ran, she’d think that her country was depending on her. But for how long? After a point, she shattered the glass ceiling. Julien Alfred said, “I had to realize that I’m doing it for myself.” It sounded like the need of the hour! “I’m the one stepping the track every day, putting in the work to get there and to accomplish everything that I want to,” she remarked. Well, they say self-reflection helps. Here’s an example; it truly does.

Of course, Julien Alfred’s mental well-being is also very closely knit to the ones around her. No wonder; she’s always in touch with her core circle. “You know, like I said, depend on my support system and just speaking with my sports therapist and just doing a lot of visualization in preparation for my event, nothing too serious.” Well, that’s all that has helped her be mentally fit while competing. Clearly, it’s a time-tested formula she swears by.

Those who know about the dip she’d been through after the World Indoors will know. But for those who don’t know, let’s look back at those times. Assuming she was a superhuman with no threshold. “It was such a hard time for me, where I felt like there’s no way I’m going to continue,” she had reflected about that state in an interview with Sky Sports quite some time back. Glad that these thoughts don’t cross her mind any longer. For she exactly knows what to do when the state arrives.

But is 2025 going to be any different? They say different conditions require different approaches. Can she and her methods work again?

Can Julien Alfred jump into 2025 with a win?

That’s it. We’re almost there, a step away from Julien Alfred’s 2025 debut. That happens this weekend in Boston, as she races the 300m category at the NYC Indoor Grand Prix. That’s when Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred will be making her debut at this event.

Also, Julien Alfred will be racing in this category after February 2023. So, there can be some rust. But her competition isn’t as stacked. There’s Dina Asher-Smith, of course, the 2019 world indoor 200m champion. But Julien’s trashed her 6-0 in 200m races over history. Not once has Dina Asher-Smith won and that’s a good enough chance.

So stay tuned until the February 2 New York City Indoor Grand Prix reveals the winners. Till then, let us know your predictions below!