FACT THAT: Sha’Carri Richardson is the fastest woman in the world. At the end of this month, she is going to the 2024 Olympics in Paris to continue proving it. Ahead of this feat, the track and field athlete spoke to Vogue for the August magazine cover! She broke her mantra: “I didn’t come back, I’m better”, and like your grandmother, Big Mom, shaped her into who she is.
“I don’t just mean I’m a better runner,” she told Vogue. “It’s beyond that. I’m better at being Sha’Carri. I’m better at being myself.”
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Sha’Carri Richardson and Big Momma Betty Harp’s Relationship
Sha’Carri Richardson told writer Maya Singer that she knew of course Running was her calling in fifth grade. That’s when she beat her aunt Shay in a race for the first time after several attempts. Shay Richardson was the family’s reigning track star before her niece came along.
The aunt never went easy on her niece when racing, and when Sha’Carri finally got her W, that set her on the path she is on today. But Big Momma Harp is the one who made Sha’Carri “tough” and who kept her on the path to becoming qualified for the Olympics.
“I’m a strong woman, I’ve overcome obstacles in my life. So I knew what I was talking about when, every now and then, things got tough and she wanted to give up — and I would say, ‘Don’t start anything and don’t finish it. You start it, you finish it. No matter what happens, keep going, you hear me?’”
Sha’Carri Richardson’s family’s reaction to seeing her qualify for the Olympics! ❤️ #Follow-upFieldTrials24 photo.twitter.com/bLeDPfZElw
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) June 23, 2024
In addition to making her resilient, Richardson says her Big Momma is her “foundation.”
“Everything I am is because of that strong, wise black woman. Everything. I mean, I’ve been blessed because I’ve had other people in my life who have helped me. But the foundation is her,” Sha’Carri said.
With Vogue, Sha’Carri kept some things private, especially details like how she came to be in Big Momma’s care. She also didn’t delve into the incident that disqualified her of her first attempt at the Olympics — testing positive for THC. She later admitted to smoking marijuana out of “emotional panic” after a reporter revealed to her that her mother had died. Instead of letting the backlash and consequences consume her, she worked privately on herself and her calling.
Instead of dumping all her business on the magazine, the star athlete went back to her mantra. She is no back, she is “better”. To improve includes making running your “24/7 lifestyle,” including nutrition, sleep, and training.
“You keep showing up,” Richardson explained. “No matter what. Most people only think about track every four years. The Olympics, that’s all there is — those few seconds on TV. But for me, track is my life, day to day. Everything I do — what I eat, what I drink, if I stay up late — it all comes out on the track. Every choice. That’s what the world doesn’t see.”
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What do you think, roommates?