Sha’Carri Richardson’s rise is an amazing story rife with triumph, disappointment, determination, redemption, loss and triumph.
This past weekend, Richardson secured her ticket to the Olympics for the first time in her young career after winning the women’s 100m at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Oregon. It was a long-awaited moment of celebration for Richardson, who had to wait three years for another chance at the Summer Games after being disqualified from the Tokyo Games in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana.
In June 2021, the former LSU star blazed through the finish line at the Trials in 10.64, shocking track fans worldwide only two short years after turning pro. In the finals, she put the world on notice by winning the 100m Finals and punching her ticket to Tokyo.
“I’m a f*ing Olympian!” screamed an elated Sha’Carri before running up into the stands to share the victory with her grandmother, Betty. It was a moment that revealed Sha’Carri’s softer side, one that she never exposed to the public for she needed to maintain a hardened presence to compete.
Being a ferocious competition but still possessing vulnerability are qualities that endear her to so many.
After her disqualification, she didn’t lie or hide behind a publicist. Instead, she took accountability.
“I am human,” tweeted the devastated sprinter at the time.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions,” Richardson said on TODAY. “I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do and am allowed not to do, and I still made that decision. I’m not making an excuse. I’m not looking for any empathy in my case.”
She could have complained that the rules were antiquated, especially as marijuana was being legalized in many states, including Oregon. She could have claimed she never inhaled or that it was second-hand smoke.
Instead, she owned up to it.
While some ridiculed her, she was overwhelmingly supported, especially after it was learned that her birth mother had died a short time before the Trials.
In the aftermath, the Jamaicans swept the 100m podium in Tokyo while Sha’Carri could only watch in frustration.
In August 2021, the Prefontaine Classic tried to bill the event as Sha’Carri vs Jamaica, paving the way for Sha’Carri’s comeback story. Instead, it resulted in another sweep for the Jamaicans and an embarrassing last-place finish for Sha’Carri.
Yet she didn’t sulk when the cameras were thrust in her face. Instead, she exuded the same confidence she had during the Trials, reminding Jamaica and the world that she would be back.
“I’m not done,” exclaimed Sha’Carri. “Count me out if you want to. Talk all the s**t you want, ’cause I’m here to stay. I’m not done!”
That rant went viral, mostly due to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s smile at the camera as she, Sherricka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah walked off the track directly behind Richardson.
But that didn’t shake her either.
The next season began slowly, but her 100m times quickly dropped from 11.37 to 10.92. In June, she raced in the NYC Grand Prix at Randall’s Island, taking second to Aleia Hobbs (10.83 to 10.85) and winning the 200m (22.38).
But it was the response from the crowd, young girls in particular, that stood out the most.
When finicky New York fans shower an athlete with that type of response, it means that you’re special. That validation was proof that Sha’Carri had arrived and it put her on a hot streak ever since.
In 2023, she won five out of seven races in the 100m, including at the USA Championships in July and the World Championships in August. In the 200m, she finished in the top 3 in all four races. She also anchored the U.S. to a first-place finish in the 4x100m at the Worlds.
Sha’Carri has become a new hero that the culture protects, supports and celebrates. It’s not just because she’s a superstar, but also because she’s genuine. She’s won and lost, is unapologetic about who she is and what she’s gone through, is unafraid of challenges and has matured through loss.
Sha’Carri is reminiscent of Allen Iverson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis in many ways.
They are embraced by the culture for who they are and they don’t assimilate to the norm. They’re tattooed, have distinct hairstyles and possess a killer instinct in competition that is offset only by smiles that capture the room. And while they’re short in stature, their confidence and fearlessness make them giants.
They’ve all made mistakes and have paid heavy prices, but they’ve learned from them and have thrived.
Most importantly, they’ve embraced who they are and don’t apologize for it.
Sha’Carri Richardson is not only a superstar in a sport that desperately needs one, but, more significantly, she’s become an inspirational hero for the culture to love.
