Challenging Sha’Carri Richardson and America’s Golden Hopes Julien Alfred Dives Into Her Jamaican Roots: “Part of That Culture”
She continued, “And when you hear Jamaica, you know about sprinting, the top athletes. So I made a decision along with my childhood coach and my mum for me to go to Jamaica, to come to train and continue my career in track & field.” It wasn’t just the sprinting culture that drew Alfred in; at just 12 years old, she endured the tragic loss of her father, Julian, a moment that, while painful, clearly influenced her journey.
Two years later, she made the tough decision to move to Jamaica to train, leaving behind the carefree barefoot races of her childhood. She explained to The Week, “I didn’t hesitate to go there, even if it wasn’t easy to leave my close friends and family behind at that age.” On the day she left, she recalled feeling overwhelmed with emotion and crying as she left her mother behind. Adjusting to life in Jamaica was far from easy.
She stayed with a family, but adapting to a new culture was tough—especially with the language barrier and not being able to go home for Christmas due to training camps. She admitted there were moments when she considered giving up but knew deep down that perseverance would lead to something great. And here’s a fun tidbit: the Jamaican sprinting legends weren’t just idols for Alfred—they were inspiration. In fact, Usain Bolt’s race played a small role in her Paris Olympics win!
How Juju ‘Bolted’ her way to Olympic greatness
In an interview from August 18, Julien Alfred opened up about her journey and how Usain Bolt became a major source of inspiration for her. She shared, “I wanted to help my family and I saw running as a way out. So I watched a few of his races before mine. I had to go back to my roots to see how he handled everything, from the pressure to the celebrations. He was an inspiration to me growing up and I wanted to be just like him.”
But before going head-to-head with her biggest rival on August 3, Julien had to win a race of her own—one against her nerves. To mentally prepare for the showdown with Sha’Carri, she turned to the videos of the world record phenom and Fastest Man Alive, Usain Bolt, while also spending time journaling. According to the YouTube documentary The Fastest Woman Alive: Julien Alfred’s Rise to Greatness, on the morning of the big day, she woke up at 5 a.m. to soak in the vibe of what was about to unfold. When she had that feeling in her bones, she jotted down four simple words in her journal: “Julien Alfred, Olympic champion.” Talk about manifesting greatness!
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