Snapshot · The Mel Robbins Podcast
Shelly-Ann is one of only approximately 2 to 3 women ever to win a global sprinting championship after giving birth, making her 2019 World Championship win historic.
Where this was said
At 58:03 · chapter starts 55:20
When Mel surfaces the 2019 Doha medal, Shelly-Ann's voice shifts to something more personal and charged. She was scared when she got pregnant — not for herself, but because of the critics who arrived immediately: having a baby will ruin your career, you're approaching 30, pack it up [1] — Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce "My son didn't need me to sacrifice my career. He didn't need me to do that. Instead, he needs to see me chasing my dreams so he knows he ha…" 58:50 . Her response was to reframe the stakes entirely. Her son didn't need her to sacrifice her career; he needed to see her chasing her dreams so that he would know he had permission to chase his. She arrived at Doha as a mother of a two-year-old, one of fewer than three women in history to win a global sprint title after giving birth. She ran approximately 10.07 seconds, screamed, pumped her fist, went to the stands and brought her son onto the track. The celebration was deliberate: she wanted him to look back at that footage and understand that in that moment, she chose both him and herself. It is, she says, the proof that women do not have to choose — balance is harmony, and the two things can exist in the same space. The outside world has opinions about when women are relevant, she acknowledges; your conversation is not my reality.
Shelly-Ann won World Championship gold in 2019 and 2022 after giving birth to her son Zyon in 2017 — feats almost no other sprinter in history has achieved.
When Shelly-Ann got pregnant in 2017, the critics said her career was over. She proved them wrong by winning the World Championship in 2019 — as a mom of a two-year-old. She didn't choose between motherhood and greatness. She used one to fuel the other, and brought her son onto the track to celebrate with her.
Shelly-Ann won the 2022 World Championship at age 35, becoming the oldest man or woman ever to win the 100-meter world title.
Thomas's wife is already ranked in the top 2,000 CrossFit athletes in the world — roughly the top 1% — and Thomas wants her to pursue the sport professionally now that he is graduating law school.
Research shows athletes who mentally imagine practicing basketball or soccer have better performance than those who do not include imagination in their training.
Shelly-Ann went from being the 6th reserve (last on the relay) at the 2007 Osaka World Championships to winning Olympic gold in 2008 — all by changing her mindset and becoming consistent.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has won 19 gold medals in track and field, including 3 Olympic golds and 10 World Championship titles.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became the first Caribbean woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters when she won in Beijing in 2008.
Shelly-Ann won the 2022 World Championship at age 35, becoming the oldest man or woman ever to win the 100-meter world title.
At age 35 in the 2022 season, Shelly-Ann ran 10.60 seconds or faster in the 100 meters six or seven times — an extraordinary level of consistency.
Shelly-Ann won World Championship gold in 2019 and 2022 after giving birth to her son Zyon in 2017 — feats almost no other sprinter in history has achieved.
Nike honored only two athletes with statues at the 2024 Paris Olympics — LeBron James and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce — to celebrate their iconic legacies.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.