Despite her Tokyo Olympics dream being shattered by a positive marijuana test after her mother’s death, Sha’Carri Richardson has sprinted her way to victory, winning the gold medal in the World Athletics Championships.
The world champion always prioritizes her family and credits them for her amazing achievements. After qualifying for the Olympics, she immediately ran to her grandmother, Betty.
Along with her grandmom, the Olympic Athlete made the entire United States proud, taking home the gold medal in the 100-meter race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
The Dallas native Sha’Carri Richardson is a field and track sprinter who competes in 100 and 200 meters.
She made history during her first year at Louisiana State University by completing the 100-meter in 10.75 seconds. While she broke the college races at the 2019 NCAA Division I, she was only nineteen.
Moreover, she won the women’s 100-meter dash with 10.86 in the United States Olympic Trails and qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Adding to her accomplishments, she won the 100-meter championship at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
On August 21, 2023, she won a gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, defeating Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Sha’Carri Richardson Was Raised By Her Grandma
Sha’Carri Richardson, born on March 25, 2000, does not remember getting love from her birth parents. Her biological father and mother abandoned her when she was a small child.
After that, her grandmother, Betty Harp, and her aunt always played the role of parents in her life.
The two strongest women made a lot of sacrifices and provided every single thing she wished her.
Also, the ladies always motivated and supported her in her every struggle. The down-to-earth Richardson feels blessed to have them by her side and credits them even for her small achievement.
In an interview with NBC, Sha’Carri said,
“Without my family, there would be no me. Without my grandmother, there would be no Sha’Carri Richardson. My family is my everything – my everything until the day I’m done.”
Today, Sha’Carri has made her family proud, earning the world title. After the World Championship victory, she disclosed that she gave her World gold medal to her most important grandmom.
Sha’Carri Richardson’s Lost Her Mother Just Before The Japan Olympics: Who Are Her Parents?
It has always been a sensitive topic to Sha’Carri Richardson, even if someone mentions her parents in front of her.
The 2023 World Athletics Champion knew nothing about her biological mother until she heard the news of her mother’s death from a reporter just before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
This heartbreaking news turned her world upside down when she failed a drug test that disqualified her from the Olympic competition.
Richardson later admitted that she used marijuana to cope with her mother’s death and get through it all.
Following her suspension, she apologized to her fans and mentioned the exact reason behind her action. She was deeply shocked to hear about her mother’s death news from the stranger.
Furthermore, she revealed that she had no idea how to deal with and control her emotions. She stated,
“I apologize for the fact that I didn’t know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time. To hear that information come from a complete stranger, it was definitely triggering, it was nerve shocking because it’s just like, how are you to tell me that?”
Sha’Carri does not hold any grudges against the reporter, as it was just a normal interview, and he was doing his job.
Though the news puts her in an emotional panic, she feels lucky enough to only miss one game.
As promised, Richardson made an awesome comeback and won the 100-meter race at the world championships.