The hunger to excel is one of defining properties that separates good athletes from the greats. And in that pursuit of excellence, not much can stop them. But knowing when to bid adieu is also what makes them great. One of them is the Jamaican 8x Olympic medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown. In a sport where many would say that 5 years is possibly a maximum of good years, Brown gave almost two decades to sprinting before retiring due to an injury in 2021. But it was not the timeline that she aimed for.

Her goal was set. Veronica had shown her wish to conclude her career after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as she was competing for the 2021 Jamaican trials, she suffered an injury that pushed her to take the major step after 2 and a half years of hiatus. But she was satisfied as she wrote on her departing June 23, 2021, Instagram post: “As I take off my spikes never to put them on again, this girl from Clarks Town walks away happy and contented with a race well run.”

The now-decorated sprinter from a small town in Trelawny, Jamaica always only wanted to be an Olympic champion. Just four years into her professional career and a silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics (4×100 m relay) as a rookie, she fulfilled her dream in the 2004 Athens Games for 200 m event. Since then, she has created a resume that can stretch a list to a roll– 3x Olympic gold medalist, 3x World champion, and a plethora of other hardware that make her legacy what it is today. Still, she feels she could have achieved more despite having a challenging time being a new parent.

Returning to the field and competing professionally was enough of an example that Veronica knew how to handle parenthood and her sprinting career. In her recent appearance on the Ready Set Go podcast with hosts Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green, she revealed, “I get a little bit of being a mom while I’m training. And that was tough because I have to make sure the babysitter was on time, I have to make sure I prep everything left for her while I go train and back.

“It was tough but as I said, motherhood, parenting is just a job that have you to get stronger, more determined, because it’s like your schedule is interrupted. You don’t have that balance, you have to find way to put that balance in, to take care of yourself. But I did get a taste of what it feels like to have a baby and still compete.”

Still, her re-appearance on the sprinting stage showed her resilience and determination. In fact, she put up good numbers even after Avianna, recording season’s bests: 7.34 for 60m, 11.20 for 100m and 23.73 for 200m and her most notable post-pregnancy participation being in the 2020 Velocity Fest in Jamaica. Hence, it was only fair for Gatlin to ask her: What keeps athletes going after achieving their goals and if the “Olympic hangover” leaves them fulfilled?

Campbell-Brown’s response? “To see what else I could do. The more I performed well and I surprise myself, I tried to see what’s more. I’ve to elevate my level of thinking. I have to set higher goals and continue to reach for them because it’s about maximizing your potential. And unless you push yourself, you don’t know what else you can achieve. If you settle for the first taste of victory, you may miss out. So, over the years, my desire is always to push myself to try to be a repeat champion, try to stay on top, try to see how fast I can go. 

Actually, I retired not achieving a lot of my goals in terms of PR, but I’m okay with that because I can look back and say, ‘Okay, I tried my best, I pushed myself, and… I’m satisfied.”

Like mentioned earlier, Veronica’s goal as a professional sprinter was to become an Olympic champion. However, when she did achieve it on her very second participation in the Games, it did not make her feel like that was enough. It only made her crave more success. And even when she retired after making and breaking many records at a world level, the standout from Jamaica believes there was more. She told Gatlin and Green what she thinks she could have done better, “I think I could’ve gone faster than 10-7.”

Adding her reasoning for the thought, she added, “I think there was a period in my career when my start wasn’t where it needs to be. And I wasn’t in my prime then. I actually ran 10.7, I don’t remember the year, but I ran 10.7 later in my career. Not in my mid 20s that’s when you’re at your peak. I missed those years because I feel there’s certain technicality aspect weren’t on point to help me run faster.”

Veronica may not be satisfied with her production today, but it is hard to forget that her personal bests of 10.76 seconds in the 100m and 21.74 seconds in the 200m are still among the fastest times in history. The word ‘decorated’ ahead of her name today, yes she has a validation for it all. But she still tried to make herself better.

Back in 2009, the University of Arkansas alum moved to Georgia. With that move, she also stepped away from her long-time coach Lance Brauman specifying that, “His work is sincerely appreciated. I felt there was a need for a change in direction hence my switch in coaching.” The two had been training together since her high school when Brown left Jamaica for US for education. With Brauman out and a new city to take next steps of her career, she brought in Tony Carpenter. Later on, her husband Omar Brown became her coach.

“So, I missed that gap. But as I said, I think I could’ve run 10.6 if everything aligned, If I’ve done the right things. If my coach had recognized certain things at that point. But I’m satisfied. I think I’ve created legacy enough to influence others and to influence my kids to look at my results and be motivated and push themselves in whatever area of life they choose.”

However, the coaching change could only do so much. She didn’t have the technological advancements that the current athletes can boast about that can pick out each and every aspect they want to work more on, improving their productions. And although with her agent Claude Bryan giving her the open choices to choose which race to participate in and create a schedule for herself, one day she had to give a final look to the field.

Affectionately known as VCB, Veronica laid out her feelings in the retirement post on her Instagram just a day before Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s (JAAA) national trials for the Tokyo Olympics in Kingston, clearing her stance that while she was as gritty as they may come, she knew when to say goodbye.

Even now, she is keeping herself busy. Campbell-Brown focuses on motherhood, entrepreneurship with VCB FIT, philanthropy through the Veronica Campbell Brown Foundation, and her work as a motivational speaker. Who would’ve imagined that a girl from rural Jamaica would reach such an extraordinary stage in life?

The story of an 8x Olympic track and field legend

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Veronica Campbell-Brown, now 42, has had quite the journey in track and field. Growing up in Clarks Town in rural Trelawney, Jamaica, she found her love for running early on. A teacher spotted her talent and encouraged her to dive into track and field, and that was the start of something amazing. Over the years, Campbell-Brown earned 19 medals across five Olympic Games and the same number of World Championships.

In 1999, her career took off after winning gold in the World Youth Championships where she ran 100m in 11.49. By her 18th year, she had won Olympic silver in the 4×100 m relay. She achieved tremendous success by establishing records while earning a track scholarship to Barton County Community College where she holds the records for 100m and 200m.

But if you think that Veronica was only focused on athletics, she proved you wrong. Even as an Olympian, Veronica continued her studies, for which she traveled all the way to the US soil to begin with. Before moving to Fayetteville for further education, she clenched the associate degree from Barton County with a 3.8 gpa in 2022. Even in the University of Arkansas where long-distance runners dominated, she stood out as a sprinter.

In 2007, she married Jamaican track and field athlete Omar Brown, who proceeded to take on the role of her coach. The pair has been fundamental to her accomplishments because they have stood beside each other every step of the way. History was made as Veronica earned first place in Olympic sprint events while also becoming the debut Caribbean woman Olympic sprint champion after winning double gold medals at World Youth and World Junior events and World Championships and Olympic competitions.

Athens and Beijing lasted to mark two straight Olympic 200-meter gold victories for her. All in all, she walked away with eight Olympic medals! She is one of the most celebrated sprinters not just in Jamaica but at the World Championship and Olympics level. She’s shown that being a mother, a track and field athlete, and balancing relationships may be tough, but you can still make the impossible possible.