Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Career, Olympics & Family

“No matter where you come from, we all share the same struggles as human beings, and my beginning is no different.” – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a Jamaican sprinter who participates in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters dashes. 

Likewise, Fraser has won gold medals in the 100-meter race at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2021 London Games with great hard work and effort.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she became the first Caribbean woman to win the gold medal in the 100m.  

Quick Facts 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Early Life and Background

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican runner was born on December 27, 1986, in the inner-city community of Waterhouse, in Kingston. She was born to Orane Fraser and Maxine Simpson.

Fraser was a gifted sprinter who used to run barefoot during her primary school from a young age.

When attending her education at Wolmer’s High School for Girls, she was unsure about pursuing a career in track and field. 

Despite such uncertainty, Fraser competed in the famous Inter-Secondary Schools Boys and Girls Championships and won the bronze medal in the 100m at 16. 

Similarly, in the 2005 CARIFTA Games in Trinidad and Tobago, she participated in the 100m race and won the bronze medal with a record of 11.73s. 

In 2006, she began her further studies at the University of Technology, Jamaica, where Stephen Francis recruited her.

Slow Rise to International Field

On the plus point, the head coach at the MVP track club was Francis and was known to guide the former 100m world record holder. 

However, Fraser was unfocused as a young athlete despite having opportunities and encouragement from her surrounding groups. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser’s successful career began with her achievements in the senior national and international stages in 2007. 

After participating in the 100m race at the Jamaican National Senior Championships, she stood fifth, setting a new personal best of 11.31s.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Education

The greatest sprinter, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, attended her schooling at Wolmer’s High School for Girls. 

Similarly, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development from the University of Technology. She later graduated in November 2012.

In 2016, she stated that she would attend the University of the West Indies to earn a Master of Science in Applied Psychology. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser’s Professional Career Journey

2008 Beijing Olympics

The opportunity in the 2018 Beijing Olympics was sudden and unexpected for Fraser. During the Jamaican Olympic trials, she became a surprise second-place finisher in the hotly contest 100m final.

Many believed Fraser was inexperienced for the Olympics since she was still unknown in the local athletics scene.

Several people petitioned the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Associative (JAAA) to replace her with Campbell-Brown.

The JAAA, on the other hand, stuck to its rule of only allowing the team’s top three finishers to compete. 

Despite such backlash, Shelly-Ann Fraser made such criticism an opportunity to do her best and prove everyone wrong. 

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she led Jamaica to a clean sweep of the medals in the 100m final. 

With such achievement, she became the first Caribbean woman to win 100m gold at the Olympics, following compatriot Usain Bolt’s footsteps the night before. 

During that time, Fraser’s winning time of 10.78 s was considered the second-fastest in Olympic history. 

Fraser ran the lead leg in the 4 x 100m relay alongside Stewart, Simpson, and Campbell-Brown.

The Jamaican team won their heat and advanced to the final as the quickest overall. However, they were disqualified from the final due to a faulty baton exchange. 

In September, Shelly-Ann Fraser finished her 2018 season by achieving gold in the IAAF World Athletics Final in 10.94 seconds. 

The rise in 2009 World Athletics Championships 

In the 2009 season, Shelly-Ann Fraser proved she wasn’t one-hit-wonder by capturing the gold medal in 100 meters at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. 

Despite winning the ultimate title, Fraser suffered due to injury followed by an appendix surgery. 

During the Prefontaine Classic, she finished in fourth place. Later, she won her first 100 m national title at the Jamaican Championships in a world-leading 10.88 seconds, finishing ahead of Kerron Stewart. 

At the World Championships, Fraser completed her race with the position second in her heat and quarterfinal.

Similarly, she finished in 10.79 seconds during the semifinal, making it the fastest semifinal time in the history of events. 

She got a blazing start in the 100 final and fought off a late push from Stewart to win her maiden world championship with a record of 10.73 seconds. 

This achievement record made her one of the third-fastest women in history during that time. 

Similarly, along with success in the world championships, Fraser also worked her way through in other achievements.

In September, she finished her season by finishing second behind Jeter in the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final with 10.89 seconds.

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The 2012 London Olympics

Shelly-Ann Fraser had been at the center of a burgeoning sprint rivalry between Jamaica and the United States since her maiden Olympic victory in 2008. 

Despite such a moderate start, the 2012 season was one of the most victorious seasons for the outstanding sprinter. In May, she finished third at the Doha Diamond League with a time of 11.00 seconds. 

Similarly, she then came second in the Rome Golden Gala with a record of 11.06 seconds. By June, she had returned to winning form, winning the Adidas Grand Prix in 10.92 seconds. 

During the Jamaican Olympic Trials, Fraser earned a victory in the sprint double in Kingston.

Shelly established a new personal best in the 100 m with a timing of 10.70 seconds. This record provided a helping hand in bettering her national record and moving her up to fourth on the all-time list of fastest 100m sprinters. 

While preparing for the Olympics on one hand, she was also completing her Bachelor of Science at the University of Technology side by side. 

During the Olympics in London, Fraser achieved victory in the 100 m heat and a semifinal in 11.0 seconds and 10.85 seconds, respectively. With the record, she advanced to the final as the second-fastest qualifier.

Fraser’s 10.75-second run was the second-fastest in the Olympic history at the time, while the race itself was the quickest Olympic 100-meter final. 

Similarly, she became the only woman to defend an Olympic 100m title, joining Americans Wyomia Toys and Gail Devers.

The achievement in the 2013 IAAF 

Since the beginning of 2013, the outstanding sprinter showed her consistency and hard work.

At the starting of the season, she became the first woman to win the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4 x 100m dash at the same World Championships.

She got off to a fast start in the season, winning the Kingston Invitational in January with an a11.47 seconds record.

Also, Shelly won Diamond League races in the 100 m in Shanghai, Eugene, and Paris. Similarly, she also won the 200 m in Doha during the next several months.

At the Jamaican Championships in June, she won her second consecutive national 200 m gold, setting a new world-leading mark of 22.13 seconds.

Fraser-Pryce was the favorite to win the 100 m and 200 m sprint events at the Moscow World Championships. 

She came into the finals in great shape, winning both her 100m heat and semi-final.

Fraser stormed out of the blocks in the 100 m final, leaving her competitors in the dust and winning gold in a new world record time of 10.71 seconds.

In 2013, Shelly-Ann Fraser ran the 3 fastest 100m speeds and the two quickest 200m timings.

She was selected the IAAF World Athlete of the Year for her performances on the track throughout the season. After Merlene Ottey in 1990, she is the second Jamaican woman to receive this award.

The historic third 100 m world title in 2015

Fraser-Pryce opted not to defend her 200-meter title at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing instead of focusing on the 100-meter dash.

She hoped to improve her 100 m technique and return to her prior form ahead of the Rio Olympics the following year.

Likewise, she only competed in two 200 m events that year, both in Kingston, where she finished first and third in 22.96 and 22.37 seconds, respectively.

Fraser-Pyrce ran 10.88 seconds in her 100m heat and 10.82 seconds in her semifinal at the World Championships in August.

Shelly also set a new world record in the 100 m final with 10.76 seconds, adding to her victories in Berlin (2009) and Moscow(2013).

Moreover, her victory time was also the second-fastest in the world in 2015, a record she had only surpassed that year.

The 2016 Rio Olympics & Injury 

Shelly-Ann Fraser had set her sights on winning a historic third straight Olympic 100 m championship in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Her season, however, did not proceed as anticipated when an onset of sesamoiditis caused persistent discomfort and inflammation in her big toe, preventing her from training or competing. This led her to withdraw from various events. 

Fraser-Pryce won her semifinal at the Rio Olympics with a new season’s best time of 10.88 seconds.

On the other hand, she appeared in pain after her semifinal, sobbing and hobbling off the course.

In the 100m final, she got out to a fast start and battled her way to bronze in 10.86s, a seasons’ best time. 

Despite failing to defend her Olympic title, Fraser-Pryce admitted that she had outperformed her own expectations, calling her bronze medal her “greatest ever.”

2017-2019 Seasons 

Athletics-Jamaica’s Fraser-Pryce fastest in women’s 100m semis

On Saturday, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce of Jamaica set the quickest time to qualify for the women’s 100 meters final.

This ignited her hopes of being the first woman to win a single individual Olympic sports event three times.

Shelly-Ann Fraser finished second in the 100 m final behind Thompson-Herah, clocking 10.74 seconds to win her fourth solo Olympic medal in the event.

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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s Husband & Family

The greatest sprinter, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, is married to her long-time boyfriend, Jason Pryce. 

Likewise, the sweet couple met each other in 2007 when Pryce visited his friend at the University of Technology, where Shelly-Ann was a student.

Later in January 2011, the long-term couple made a vow of eternity at the Tryall Club in Hanover. 

Despite such tremendous fame of Shelly-Ann, very little is known about her husband, Jason Pryce.

Similarly, the huge stardom has changed nothing for the lovely couple, who are happy with their achievements. 

On 7th August 2017, the beautiful couple was blessed with their lovely son, Zyon Pryce. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Net Worth 

The outstanding sprinter has made quite a fortune from her hard work in her professional career as an athlete. 

As of 2021, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s has a net worth of $4 million. Aside from her primary career, she also has a hair salon named Chic Hair Ja. 

Similarly, she also earns an impressive amount of fortune from the salon. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s Contribution 

Fraser-Pryce has signed sponsorship deals with Digicel, GraceKennedy, and Nike.

Similarly, Nike published a series of promotional films of her 100m training sessions to highlight her quest for Olympic gold in 2016. 

Fraser-Pyrce has also supported various causes with the help of her career.

In February 2010, she was designated the first UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador for Jamaica. 

Likewise, in the same year, she was also named Grace Goodwill Ambassador for Peace. Again, it was a collaboration between Grace Foods and a non-profit organization, PALS. 

She also founded the Pocket Rocket Foundation, which provides financial assistance to high school athletes in need.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Social Media

The Olympic athlete is active on her social media like Instagram and Twitter. She is seen updating her followers about the recent Tokyo games.

Click below to give her a follow and know more about Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. 

Instagram: 597k followers with 301 followings

Twitter: 185.9k followers with 153 followings

FAQs

What are Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s major achievements?

Some of the major achievements of the sprinter is being the six-time Olympic medalist, including two gold medals in 100m.

Similarly, 10 gold medals in World Championships and becoming the second-fastest woman ever in 100m.