Although Yohan Blake crashed out of the Paris Olympics, lagging behind the likes of Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville, and others, The Beast is a bona fide track and field legend. Today, Blake would have been the fastest man in the world had it not been for Usain Bolt. However, despite a disappointing end to Blake’s Paris Olympic dreams, his parents never stopped supporting the 34-year-old.

Yohan Blake came from humble beginnings. Born to Shirley and Veda Blake shortly after Christmas Day in December 1986, the sprinting legend did not hail from an affluent background. However, Blake’s exceptional talent as a runner quickly brought him into the spotlight. Recognizing their son’s abilities, Shirley and Veda Blake steadfastly supported his endeavors, especially after he captured attention at the CARIFTA Games in 2007.

The private lives of Yohan Blake’s parents

Yohan Blake’s parents are humble working-class folks who led an ordinary life until their son brought worldwide fame to the family name. However, despite their son’s status as a former world champion, they chose to stay out of the limelight. While Blake made history by running 100m in 9.69s in 2012, Shirley and Veda Blake continued to stand as his pillars of support.

Because the 34-year-old’s parents chose to keep their lives private, not much is known about what they did to earn a living. However, through the years of sporadic interviews, we can piece together the fact that they were deeply spiritual. “I’m going to church, you know. I have to go to church,” Veda Blake told The Gleaner after watching her son win the gold medal at the 2011 World Championships.

Yohan Blakes’s father admitted to “whispering a prayer” as the athletes lined up on track that fateful day. “I say ‘God, You see that he is really trying, so just give him the strength to pull through, ’cause he’s been doing so well’,” his father said during the 2011 interview. Shirley Blake first spotted his son’s talent when they moved from Bogue Hill, St. James, to Bullet Tree in St. Catherine.

He noticed the youngster racing against his two friends and winning. Soon, these friendly races turned into a passion, with Shirley and Veda Blake becoming the biggest cheerleaders for their son, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist. Yohan Blake showed just how deep a connection he shares with his parents after winning the 2022 JAAA National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships.

No one understood why the track and field veteran became so overwhelmed with emotion after winning the 100m title. Blake later told The Gleaner that winning the race meant a lot to him, as his father had suffered a stroke just days ahead of the contest. Surprisingly, Blake’s parents never used him to participate in track events.

Are Shirley and Veda Blake former athletes?

Neither Shirley nor Veda played sports competitively. In all their interviews, Shirley and Veda Blake have said that Yohan Blake naturally developed his liking for the sport. They never pushed their son to run or compete in track and field events. They cared more that Yohan Blake pursued his passion rather than gold, silver, or bronze medals.

After The Beast won silver at the 2012 Olympics, his parents didn’t express disappointment. Instead, they expressed optimism and believed he would only improve. Yohan Blake became one of the fastest men in the history of track and field. His talent was enough to propel him to the grandest stage of them all. However, it would’ve been impossible without his parents’ unflinching support during his formative years.