‘A victory over Sha’Carri Richardson can open many doors!’ That’s exactly what a certain 29-year-old American athlete must be thinking. On June 29, the track and field pundits did not count her name before the firebrand sprinter made it into the 200-meter American team for the Paris Olympics in the women’s category.

Richardson’s demand was justified because of her consistent performance and impressive records. She entered the 200-meter final event in the US Olympic trials, posting a personal best timing of 21.92 seconds only behind Tokyo Bronze medalist Gabby Thomas at 21.78 seconds. So, after this feat, her weight was heavier to reach the other end before anyone else. However, the said 29-year-old pulled off a victory over Sha’Carri in the 200-meter trials. And now she just landed another prize.

According to an update from Citius Mag posted today on Instagram, Brittany Brown has earned a pro deal from Nike. In rejoicing over the achievement, the Olympian added, “I deeply value the direction that Nike is going and I’m excited to star this new chapter of my professional career!”  Notably, she was being backed by Adidas since 2020.

Subsequently, she mentioned that after the 200-meter trial event at Hayward Field, she had become a free-agent athlete, lacking sponsorship. Therefore, her victory over Sha’Carri and gaining the Paris Olympic berth might have had a role to play in letting her come under Nike’s radar. While Brown ran fifth during June 28’s semi-final event, way behind the 24-year-old second-spot finish, she made up for it in the finals. Sha’Carri Richardson was relegated to the fourth spot and unable to qualify. On the other hand, Brown finished second with a career-best performance of 21.09 seconds for her first Olympic Games.

However, heading into the big tournaments without sponsorship is nothing new for Brittany Brown. 

In 2018, when Sha’Carri Richardson was defying the odds by making her name in the NCAA, Brittany Brown completed her degree at the University of Iowa. However, she wanted to prolong her athletic career despite lack of sponsorships for over a year. In such a condition, a day-to-day job was her only option to fund her dreams. Brittany accepted that form of life taking up babysitting, working as a caregiver for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, and waiting tables at an Iowa City restaurant. 

Brown’s hardships, or rather, success, caught the audience’s eyes only when she left with the World Championship silver medal hanging around her neck in 2019. Adidas followed her with the sponsorship offer and she grabbed that. 

Brittany Brown still remembers that moment. “It was definitely a sigh of relief to have that and to be recognized,” she recalled. However, after the US Olympic trials this year, that deal with Adidas was over, with no contract renewal news. But now, Brittany Brown has a new one, and achieving the deal has made her say something that stands almost similar to Richardson’s quote. 

Sha’Carri Richardson’s opponent stands beside her on track topic 

Throughout the years, Sha’Carri Richardson has been talking about revolutionizing track issues. Among those issues, the fiasco regarding the payments for the athletes stands out. On this question, SCR went brickbat on Team USA when the latter boasted of utilizing the donations it got for the betterment of athletes. However, Sha’Carri retorted in April by commenting, “Do not donate. The athletes that need this money don’t see it.” Almost similar words reverberated in Brittany Brown’s voice three months later.

Taking a holistic view of the far from ideal situation, she added, “Track has come a long way. It still (has) a long way to go when it comes to finances and money in the sport for sponsored and unsponsored (athletes).” Her present expenses run between $20,000 and $30,000 in just her track preparations. Without a sponsorship that could have been pretty much to bear, and before the Olympics, the timing also proved to be vital. Hence, when she also added, “Money is respect, and it was nice to be respected in that way,” it things into perspective.

“When you feel like you’re not getting recognized with monetary support, it can feel very defeating. But I also felt like that (unsponsored) year, I became my biggest fan, and I became my biggest cheerleader,” she further reminisced. Brown also talked about her journey on X, throwing light on far she’s actually come.

“My name is Brittany Shamere Brown,” began the tweet she posted right her after first-ever Olympic qualification on June 29. “I never won a track state title I didn’t go to a “big track school” I never won a NCAA Title Wasn’t signed right out of college to a shoe company BUT I JUST WOKE UP AN OLYMPIAN!!” 

The athlete’s journey is certainly inspiring. Do you think beating Sha’Carri Richardson to qualify for Paris had anything to do with her new sponsorship deal? Let us know what you think in the comments below!