On August 3, Julien Alfred took 10.72 seconds to change everything. Her timing put her on the Olympic map, making her the women’s 100m event champion. But it also set her above Sha’Carri Richardson, the American sensation who had been the favorite since day one of the Paris Olympics. With sponsors lining up and the spotlight firmly on her as the reigning world champion—Richardson seemed unstoppable.  

Yet, on the penultimate day, Alfred left Richardson in her dust and claimed the gold. She now has Julian Alfred Day in her country, St. Lucia, celebrating her extraordinary success just like Richardson has one in Dallas. Why? Mainly because of her snagging gold in Paris! But do you know about Alfred’s motivation before moving to that final? She had to watch a few clips again and again to warm herself up and those were not Sha’Carri’s. Then? 

The inspiration to defeat Sha’Carri Richardson came from this legend 

Before moving to the Paris Olympics, Sha’Carri Richardson had the world-leading time in the women’s 100m event. She also had the world champion tag. In fact, last year in Budapest, the American athlete won the coveted title, defeating Alfred. Furthermore, this year as well, she overpowered St. Lucian in the Prefontaine Classic by just 0.10 seconds in the women’s 100m event. All these defeats could have led to a negative impact on Julien’s mind. Therefore, before facing her nemesis on August 3, Julien had to win her psychological race against Sha’Carri. And she did that by watching Usain Bolt’s videos and journaling before the race day. As per the YouTube documentary, The Fastest Woman Alive—Julien Alfred Rise to Greatness, on D-day, she woke up at 5 am to taste the vibe of the day. When she ticked that box, Alfred wrote down four words in her journal. 

According to the documentary, those words were, “Julien Alfred, Olympic champion.” Causing goosebump? It should! After going through those videos, Julien Alfred gathered her motivation to write history in the Stade de France. And the track and field sports world knows about what came next. Julien Alfred earned a thumping victory against Sha’Carri Richardson, with the largest gap between topper and runner-up in the event’s history at the Olympics. But what was in those videos that motivated the 23-year-old to topple the barrier? Per her, it was a few videos of Usain Bolt’s Olympic races. Throughout her life, Alfred has idolized the Jamaican legend. So watching his Olympic gems in the critical time warmed her up. But apart from Bolt, Alfred had another figure in her mind to motivate her. 

Julien Alfred was on her mission to fulfill someone’s wish 

Julien Alfred’s run at the Paris Olympics made several fans remember Usain Bolt. On August 3, the St. Lucian ignored the drizzles to win the race against Sha’Carri Richardson. In 2013, Bolt had a similar experience facing American opponents on the track of Moscow. In both fields, the athletes from the island nations won. Are those victories co-incidents? Julien Alfred may not agree with that. She rather may add her urge to fulfill someone’s wish as a factor behind her victory. 

In 2013, Julien lost her father Julian to a disease. The loss shook the athlete deeply. In fact, after her father’s death, Alfred wanted to retire from the sport. “I didn’t want to run anymore. The last time I had seen him was when he took me to practice where we trained on grass. I had no motivation,” she said. The blow seemed to be a death knell to her career. Despite this, her father’s wish kept her from being overwhelmed by sorrow. In her interaction with The Times, the athlete revealed, “He [Julien’s father] always believed in me and wanted me to be an Olympian.” In 2024, she had that chance and she fulfilled her father’s wish by setting the milestones. Is not that a motivational tale for everyone?