Julien Alfred! Does she even need an introduction anymore? Since August 2024, her name has been everywhere. Why? Well, for anyone who’s somehow missed it, here’s the scoop: Julien didn’t just win Olympic gold at the Paris Games; she left the world in awe, beating the likes of Sha’Carri Richardson and Jamaica’s best to claim the title of fastest woman alive. That’s right! This small-town girl from Saint Lucia, a Caribbean island with just 180,000 people, is now the queen of the 100m sprint. And her journey?

Oh, it’s the stuff of dreams. From leaving her home country at a young age to train and compete to returning as a national hero with Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal, she’s shown the world what talent can do. Now, let’s put this win in perspective because it’s wild. The U.S. has 335 million people and the most 100m champions, while tiny Jamaica, with just 2.8 million, has dominated women’s 100m gold since 2008. Crazy, right?

But Julien? She came from a nation so tiny it’s practically a dot on the map compared to sprinting giants like the U.S. and Jamaica—and yet, she outran them all. Now, as 2025 kicks off, Julien Alfred isn’t slowing down. She’s gearing up for another huge season, starting with the Wanda Diamond League. First stop? The Bislett Games in Oslo on June 12, followed by the BAUHAUS Galan in Stockholm on June 15. “Visiting the Scandinavian countries is one of my dreams. I look forward to feeling the hospitality from the Scandinavian spectators and hope to live up to the standard of these two meetings and to give them a memorable performance, “as she puts it!

These early races aren’t just about clocking wins—they’re about stacking up points and setting the tone as she aims to defend her Diamond Trophy and dominate the season finale in Zurich this August. Last year, Alfred made serious waves in the Diamond League, snagging her first meeting win in Monaco before crushing the competition to take the 100m series title in Brussels. And this year? She’s got her eyes on an even bigger prize: her first outdoor world title at the World Championships in Tokyo this September.

Julien knows the stakes, saying, “The upcoming Diamond League season is very important because I won’t be having any trials for the World Championships. So, I hope these races put me closer to my goal.” If 2024 was the year she shocked the world, 2025 looks like it’ll be the year she cemented her legacy. But let’s not forget that becoming one of the greatest athletes didn’t come without sacrifice.

The untold struggles behind Julien Alfred’s success

At just 14, Julien Alfred made the brave decision to leave her family and her home in Saint Lucia to move to Jamaica. Imagine that—being a teenager, away from everyone you know, stepping into a world completely different from the one you’ve always known. “Not being with any family was something I had to adapt to,” she once said. “I don’t think I fully adapted to being away from my family for the three years that I spent there.” And it wasn’t just the distance from her loved ones; it was everything else too.

The culture, the environment, the way sprinting and track and field were approached in Jamaica—it was all on a different level. It was tough, no doubt, but those years shaped Julien into the fierce competitor she is today. Her story has its fair share of heartbreak too. Julien was just 12 years old when she lost her father. Can you imagine going through something like that at such a young age? It was devastating, and for a while, she stepped away from running entirely.

“He’d always be so boastful of his daughter being a future Olympian,” she once shared. But that loss stayed with her, and after two years of processing her grief, she found her way back to the track. And when she did, she carried her father’s dream with her. Every race, every win—it was all for him. By 2024, Julien was all dominating. Julien Alfred has shown the world that no matter where you come from or what you’ve been through, you can rise to the top.