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Julien Alfred considered quitting athletics but her coach played a crucial role in ensuring that the 23-year-old fulfills her dream.
Desperation and giving up are two attributes that are associated with athletes and sports.
Sometimes 'enough is enough' can be hard-hitting in the mind and the next course of action becomes shrouded in uncertainty. While surrendering can be a more viable option, words of encouragement from a person more senior than you are could be the saving grace to your decision.
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21:00 - 27.12.2024
How St. Lucian pressure instilled winning mentality in Julien Alfred as she delivered when it mattered most
Pressure from own fans was instrumental for Julien Alfred's Olympic glory. The burden of the country weighed heavily on her shoulders but she lived up to the billing.
The Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred's case best explains this analogy. Saint Lucia's finest Julien Alfred had reached a breaking point in her budding career, but one question changed everything.
The 23-year-old had been through so much. At 12, she had lost her father. At 14, she had left home, on the Caribbean island of St Lucia, to pursue her Olympic dream. Alfred emerged as a genuine Olympic contender after going close to the world podium in 2023.
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15:09 - 06.01.2025
'I want to give out to the world' - Sha'Carri Richardson fires warning to rivals, eyes glory in 'special' 2025 after Olympic disappointment
Sha'Carri Richardson is expected to rekindle rivalry with Olympic Champion Julien Alfred but has delivered a stern warning ahead of world title defense.
However, at the beginning of 2024, the Caribbean girl had made up her mind to walk out of athletics because of her own tribulations and weighty expectations placed on her shoulders by her country.
Alfred, coached by Texas-based Edrick Floreal, who also trains Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith and Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke, revealed the question that changed her athletics journey. "Are you ready to be Olympic champion?" her coach asked as revealed by the BBC.
After a thorough scrutiny, the 23-year-old got back to usual self and vowed to silence critics. Alfred delivered one of the greatest shocks at the Olympics, beating favorite Sha'Carri Richardson to the title to hand Saint Lucia its first ever Olympic gold medal. She also settled for silver in 200m and her performance had a St Lucia national holiday named after her.
Yet months before she wrote history, Alfred's Olympic participation was in serious doubt. "Early this season (2024), I had a breakdown. I told my coach I didn't want to continue my season, I told my agent to cancel my meets," Alfred explained.
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