Victim of Childhood Struggles, Sha’Carri Richardson Opens Up on How She Fueled Track & Field Dream: “Growing Up on the Streets”

As excitement grows for the 2024 Summer Olympics, all eyes are on one athlete who once, “tried to commit suicide.” Now she is one of the brightest hopes for the USA to bring golden glory from Prais. Sha’Carri Richardson’s unique style, including her nails and hair, adds to her appeal, but what truly makes her stand out is her technique, raw power, and speed, making her the fastest woman in the world as she prepares for the Paris Games.

Last year, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Richardson, 24, blazed through the Women’s 100 meters in 10.65 seconds, earning her the title of the fastest woman of the year. But amid the cheers and applause, a big question arises: Did her talent come from relentless training, or was it a natural gift that she’s had since childhood?

Just a few hours ago, Sha’Carri Richardson posted a video on Instagram with Cardi B, the American rapper, where both of them were getting their nails done. In the midst of their conversation, Cardi asked Richardson, “So you practically have a superpower. Are you born with it or did you just get good at it?” referring to her sprinting abilities.

Richardson’s response was truly remarkable. She said, “I really thought I was born with it. I literally used to race, even with the boys in my neighborhood, growing up in the street. I just did it.” It seems like her talent was innate, ingrained in her from the start. However, as the saying goes, “everything has a price,” and Richardson, too, had to pay it from a young age. But these difficulties contributed to shaping her into the person she is today.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s childhood was marked by instability. Abandoned by her mother, she was raised by her grandmother, Betty Harp, and aunt. “I was always asking myself what was wrong with me…why is it that she never wanted to be with me? My mother not wanting to be around me made me believe that nobody ever wanted to be around me,” Richardson said. The lack of familial support led her to a dark place, and as a junior in high school, she contemplated suicide but anyhow survived.

It was her aunt, Shayaria Richardson, who became her lifeline, offering love and stability. Richardson credits her aunt with saving her life, providing the reassurance she needed to persevere through her darkest moments.“I was always telling her, ‘Are you going to leave me too?’. She told me no, that I would always have a family, and she has never left me until now. I knew I needed that, and when she gave it to me, I knew my life was transformed.” Despite the challenges she faced, Richardson found inspiration in her aunt’s achievements as a school sprint star, seeing her medals proudly displayed at her grandmother’s house. But fate was still not on her side.

What obstacles did Sha’Carri Richardson face following her 2021 triumph?

In 2021, Sha’Carri Richardson’s victory in the 100-meter race secured her a spot in the Tokyo Olympics trials. After crossing the finish line, her first instinct was to embrace her grandmother in the stands. She expressed, “My grandmother is my heart, my grandmother is my superwoman, so to have her here at the biggest meet of my life, and being able to cross the finish line and run up the steps knowing I’m an Olympian now, it just felt amazing.” Little did the world know, Richardson was grappling with the loss of her biological mother a week back. But her struggle didn’t end there only.

Later, Sha’Carri Richardson’s triumph was invalidated because of a positive drug test for THC. She accepted a one-month suspension, beginning on June 28, which made her ineligible for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics 100m race. Richardson explained that her marijuana use was a way of coping with the unexpected passing of her biological mother, shedding light on the personal challenges she faced during her athletic journey. However, she has since staged a remarkable comeback, recently securing victory in her first 100-meter race of the Olympic year at the Prefontaine Classic with a time of 10.83 seconds. With her sights set on the Paris Olympics, Richardson is as a frontrunner despite the challenges she has faced.