The professional sprinter’s victories are never far from the two of them: in 2021, following her impressive 100-meter victory to secure her maiden Olympic berth, the Dallas native dashed into the stands to embrace Harp, who was subsequently seen wiping away tears.
“It feels almost as good as receiving a medal,” Sha’Carri described the experience to Today, saying, “The fact that she was there made it feel so much sweeter.”
Her hopes of competing in the Tokyo Olympics were dashed in the days that followed when she tested positive for THC, but she has since recovered. Sha’Carri won gold medals at the 2023 World Championships in the 100-meter and 4×100-meter relay events.
Her family will be cheering her on as she competes in the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
In a 2021 post-race interview, Sha’Carri stated to NBC Sports, “Without them, there would be no me.” Sha’Carri Richardson would not exist if it weren’t for my grandmother. Up until the day I pass away, my family will always come first in my life.
2020 saw the death of her biological mother.
The professional sprinter Sha’Carri disclosed that her biological mother passed away a week before she won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. A lot is unknown about her mother.
Sha’Carri vowed to carry on pursuing her dreams and loving her family in spite of the unanticipated tragedy.
After the 2021 race, she said to NBC Sports, “I’m still here.” “I learned last week that my biological mother had passed away, but I’m still going to follow my aspirations and come here to honor the family I do have here on Earth.”
Sha’Carri used the opportunity to show her gratitude but stated she didn’t want to divulge any more information during an after-the-fact press conference.
“I will always adore and appreciate her for that,” she whispered, “since she gave me life and brought me into this world.”
Shay took on the role of the maternal figure.
When Sha’Carri was a small child, her biological mother left, and her grandparents took on the responsibility of becoming her primary caregivers.
Sha’Carri struggled with her biological mother’s absence and felt self-conscious despite the supportive atmosphere. In a Quibi’s Prodigy series episode from April 2024, she shared candid details about her childhood.
“I used to ask myself all the time, ‘What’s wrong with me?'” “Why do you feel like you shouldn’t be here?” she asked herself. “I was thinking that nobody wanted to be around me, really, if my mother doesn’t want to be with me.”
Sha’Carri’s fear of abandonment was allayed by her aunt Shay, who vowed to stay. “I promise not to give up on you,” she gave Sha’Carri comfort. “I won’t ever abandon you. My name is Mom. Being her parent didn’t require me to give birth to her.
Shay continues to be a fixture in Sha’Carri’s life, who acknowledged that these words of affirmation changed it.
Sha’Carri stated to NBC DFW in 2024, “My mom [Shay] has absolutely been a cornerstone in my life to just be better.” “Recognizing that although your circumstances may not have been perfect, where you start is not as important as where you want to go. Without my mother, I never would have begun track.
Her grandmother was a part of her upbringing.
Growing up, Sha’Carri’s favorite childhood memories are of cooking and watching TV with Harp. Together, they created an unbreakable friendship that has only grown stronger over the professional sprinter’s career.
She told USA Today in 2021, “From Day 1 up till today, always being in my corner, no matter what I did, no matter if it was good, no matter if it was horrible.”
“My heart is my grandmother. Sha’Carri continued, “My grandmother is my superwoman,” according to Team USA.
Her track career was influenced by Shay.
In the third grade, Sha’Carri discovered a collection of gold, silver, and bronze medals that belonged to Shay at home, which completely altered the course of her life.
“One day, I noticed my mother’s large medal-filled plaque that my grandmother had handcrafted, and I immediately wanted it. In a 2024 Teen Vogue interview, she recalled, “I want you to bring me one, Granny.” “Well, you got to do something to acquire some medals!” exclaimed [my grandma].
Sha’Carri went on, “Honestly, after that, it was just like, ‘If you want to do something, you had to put your all into it.'”
Shay took her niece to the track and began training her right away after Harp led Sha’Carri to her. Shay remarked, “I ran her little butt,” in Prodigy.
Sha’Carri, then nine years old, complained of being tired, but her mother urged her to press on. “Do you want to be great?” she asked the aspiring world champion.
Sha’Carri continued running after that, joining the track teams at her middle school and high school, where she won awards and gained recognition for her quickness. She was hungry for more by the time she enrolled at Louisiana State University in 2018 and, after just one year, announced that she was turning pro.
Her grandmother took her on her first flight to see her compete.
A significant turning point in Sha’s family’s history was reached when she won a seat in the 100-meter sprint at the U.S. Olympic trials in June 2021, clocking in at a scorching 10.86 seconds.
For Sha’Carri, it was a first, but a few weeks before, another momentous occasion had happened. To help her granddaughter pursue her dream of being a professional athlete, Harp took a risk by flying for the first time. Richardson was moved by the gesture.
In an interview with Today, she said, “I was just so glad and blessed that my grandmother could be there as I raced up in the stands to see her.” Two weeks prior, she had probably taken her first flight ever. Two weeks later, she took another flight to join me at one of the most important events of my life.
“I wouldn’t even have made it to that moment if it weren’t for her,” Sha’Carri went on. “To be able to share that moment with her was just truly unbelievable, memorable.”
