“No one had me making the Olympic team, no one definitely had me winning,” said Olympic 100m hurdles champ Masai Russell. Going into the Olympic trials at Eugene, Russell’s best time was 12.70 seconds, far below the Olympic caliber. Yet, the years of grind paid off at Hayward Field when she clocked a 12.25-second personal best. A month later she would triumph in Paris.

“I proved myself right and I proved everyone else wrong.” said the hurdler. However, this willingness to step out of her comfort zone didn’t come naturally to Russell. It was her parents who saved the Olympic champion’s track and field career ahead of high school. That’s because the hurdler had become far too comfortable in her hometown.

“I didn’t want to go to school an hour away from my friends in my area, my predominantly black area, that I came from,” she said on The Pivot Podcast. However, her parents knew that their daughter needed to explore new avenues to improve. So they sent their daughter to Bullis High School in Potomac, Maryland. While Masai Russell didn’t feel pleased, things changed this time.

“I mean I can only appreciate and thank my parents. At a certain age, your parents are the ones that direct your steps… You know my dad putting me into Bullis the high school that Quincy Wilson goes to,” was that step that transformed her career. Under the tutelage of coach Joe Lee, the sprinter got back her hunger, something she acknowledged after the Olympic win.

“The coaches at Bullis had a vision for us. They had a plan for us. The standard was always there.” Masai Russell admitted after attaining Olympic glory. However, the track and field star had already shown promise in college. In 2023, the Bullis School alumnus broke the NCAA women’s 100m hurdles record after clocking in 12.36s. Yet, none of it would be possible without her parents.

If it wasn’t for the “sacrifices” they made to push their daughter at a young age, she wouldn’t have achieved Olympic glory, admitted Russell. Now, an Olympic gold medalist at 24, the hurdler hopes to do the same for younger athletes. In fact, she already started at the Paris Olympics.

Masai Russell stood beside her fellow Bullis School athlete

Quincy Wilson made history, becoming the youngest U.S. male track and field athlete to win Olympic gold. However, if you ask the 16-year-old, there’s a good chance he’ll give all the credit to the 4x400m relay team. Wilson believed that he nearly cost Team USA the 400m relay gold in the very first heat. That’s because the U-18 world record holder had an unusually slow start.

“I knew I had a great three legs behind me. I knew it wasn’t just myself because by myself we would be in last place.” Wilson said during the post-heats press conference. Unfortunately, many track and field fans also came down of the Olympic debutant, further extending his dismay. However, among those who stood beside Wilson was his Bullis School senior Masai Russell.

“I told him when I was 16 I wasn’t thinking about the Olympics. I was probably somewhere eating some ice cream… It’s still crazy to me and I’m 24 years old, and I’ve been doing this much longer than him. The fact that he’s on this stage, this is not the last time you see him on this stage.” Russell revealed about her conversation with Wilson.

The 24-year-old gold medalist was right. Despite an early mishap, Team USA ultimately won the 4x400m finals while setting a new Olympic record. There was a time when Masai Russell’s desire to stay in her comfort zone nearly ended her career. Now, thanks to her parents she’s the one inspiring others.