You can’t turn back the clock, and for Shelby Houlihan, there’s no rewinding the past. The American 1500-meter record holder is gearing up to race again, but it’s not exactly the warm welcome she might’ve hoped for. After testing positive for na**rolone in 2020, Shelby was handed a four-year suspension, and the reasoning she gave that she unknowingly ate a tainted pork burrito hasn’t convinced a lot of people in the track and field world. She appealed the suspension, but it was denied, meaning she missed out on the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and the Paris 2024 Games. Now, with her ban ending on January 13, 2025, she’s finally allowed to train with other pros.

During her suspension, Shelby’s been running around 80 to 85 miles a week in Beaverton, Oregon, where she’s been living. She’s showing she’s still got the goods, running solid times—2:03 for 800 meters and 4:02 for 1500 meters. It’s clear she’s staying fit, even though there were moments when she struggled with motivation. She’s not hitting the gym as hard as she used to, but she’s still putting in the work. She’s also kept up with altitude training, pushing herself in new ways.

But let’s not forget the mental side of things, which has been a whole other challenge. It was around 18 months ago when Shelby Houlihan was struggling through some really low points. She would get to the track, even for just practice or a training session, and get full-blown panic attacks. However, as it relates to racing again, she has many nerves. And let’s not forget the controversy associated with her coming back to the show once again. Shelby’s documentary, Shelby Houlihan: Rising, is scheduled to debut on FloTrack on February 3, and the announcement of the release has caused quite a lot of anger.

One of the leading media outlets in the track and field world, FloTrack, shared the news on X about the release of the film on their platform. This post received a number of comments from fans that were harsh. FloTrack’s decision to promote the film has drawn the attention of the audience to Shelby, but track and field enthusiasts are not merciful to her.

Track and field fans outraged over Shelby Houlihan’s documentary

Fans are not happy about Shelby Houlihan’s upcoming documentary, Shelby Houlihan: Rising, set to premiere on FloTrack. One fan took to X to express their frustration, saying, “Why you guys celebrating doper?! Sorry, this is not good from you guys.” Another added, “I don’t get why anyone would celebrate a drug cheat’s return to the sport. Subscription cancelled.” A third chimed in with, “No need to give her air time. Comments speak loudly. What will your subscribers say? Seems tone deaf to me.” Many fans aren’t happy about the attention she’s getting, especially given the doping controversy still surrounding her.

However, Shelby has always stood by her side while denying the positive nand**lone test that denied her opportunity in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, since her defense lawyers sought to indicate that the level of nand*lone detected in the test was low; this was not enough to have the ban uplifted. Despite efforts to vindicate herself, Shelby put up a strong defense by submitting a hair analysis and bravely took a polygraph test but it was of no avail, not even the best plea could reduce the cruel punishment.

On social media, Shelby Houlihan celebrated the end of her suspension, sharing her relief, pride, and anger. “It’s been 4 years. I did it. I feel relief, happiness and pride for having overcome it, but I also feel incredibly angry and sad for having had to do it. I still have no real answers about what happened 4 years ago. Was it the meat in a burrito? Possibly. Could it have been something completely different? Absolutely. I don’t know for sure what happened, but some things I have seen are inconsistencies in standards and protocols, lack of transparency and lack of accountability within anti-doping regulatory bodies.”

One track and field fan asked, “Are we feeling sorry for dopers now??” while another added, “This is why I never subscribe to your subscription. This hurts the sport.” A third person said, “She should stay away. Cheaters will always cheat,” and another bluntly stated, “Celebrating a convicted doper. Interesting take.” But let’s not forget what Shelby’s been through mentally over the past few years. Around 18 months ago, Shelby was struggling with anxiety. She would show up at the track and feel like she was about to have a panic attack. “I was having a full-on panic attack,” she said, admitting that thoughts like, “Do they know me? Are they going to be mean to me? Do they believe me?” would spiral through her mind.

It got so bad that she started wondering how she could race again if she couldn’t even walk onto a track without feeling this way. Shelby Houlihan eventually turned to a sports psychologist, and it helped her regain some confidence. But she’s still got some nerves about returning to racing. She worries about being “absolutely booed by the crowd” or having her competitors give her the cold shoulder.

One fan even went as far as to say, “Cheaters deserve automatic lifetime bans,” One more added, “she…failed a drug test. She was for cheating. Cheating, you know, cheating other people OUT of things? Am I losing my mind? Why is she being treated like some victim of a great injustice? What about all the other athletes she beaten and will beat? are you good?” so it’s clear some people are pretty upset about Shelby’s return.

A lot of track and field folks aren’t ready to forgive, but at the same time, maybe it’s time to let things go and move forward. The past’s tough to forget, but people can change, right? Maybe Shelby Houlihan deserves a chance to prove she’s more than that mistake. At the end of the day, what’s the point in holding onto the past forever? What do you guys think? Drop your thoughts in the comments!