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Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith has opened up about how Shericka Jackson came in handy for her after years of struggling with her mental health and injuries.
Veteran sprinter Mariee Jose Ta Lou-Smith has opened up about her struggle with mental health and how Shericka Jackson changed her perception and she started becoming more open.
Ta Lou-Smith told Olympics.com that she had been struggling with injuries and there is no season she raced without an injury, something that many might not be aware of due to her personality of keeping things to herself and only talking to God.
She disclosed that a conversation with the two-time world 200m champion would later change her perception and she would later become open and willing to talk about her struggles instead of suffering in silence.
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15:00 - 19.09.2024
'Nothing was enough this year'- Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith reflects on her 2024 season
Africa's fastest woman has disclosed that 2024 has been her toughest season since she began her career after failing to achieve any of her goals and noted why she remains optimistic as she takes her break and prepares for 2025.
“Since I started track and field, I never ran without any injury. People don't know that. Always, I have an injury, a personal problem. I can cry all night. And the next day you see me smiling, you don't know what I'm going through because I tell myself, ‘People have other bigger problems than me’,” Ta Lou-Smith said.
“I remember speaking with Shericka Jackson for about 30 minutes on the track and just, holding each other. She told me, ‘You need to speak to people, you need to speak to someone’. Because all the time I say, ‘OK, I'm a Christian, I speak to God’. But this year I think I need to speak to a therapist, when I hear people talk about mental health I say, 'I am a Christian, I speak to God'. Even my spiritual dad, he told me I need to speak to someone as I am going through a lot,” she added.
Ta Lou-Smith did not have a smooth 2024 season either as she had to battle injuries from the start of the season. At the Paris Olympic Games, she was carried off the track after finishing eighth in the women’s 100m final.
She failed to show up for the women’s 200m due to a slight injury setback and failed to honour her Olympic goals this season. After the Olympics, she finished fourth at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne before battling for top honours to the line with Tia Clayton in Silesia. However, it was the Jamaican youngster who took the crown home.
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19:21 - 14.09.2024
Why Gabby Thomas is still wary of Shericka Jackson's threat ahead of 2025 season
Thomas, who clinched three gold medals at the Paris Olympic games, has explained why she is still wary of Shericka Jackson's return next season.
Ta Lou-Smith then competed at the Diamond League Meeting in Zurich where she finished fourth before winning the women’s 100m at the Grand Prix Lombardia. Africa’s fastest woman was not done with her exploits as she went on to claim third place at the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels in the women’s 100m. She was then disqualified for lane infringement in the women’s 200m.
The Ivorian sprinter now looks to end her season on a high as she competes at Athlos, Alex Ohanian’s women-only event in New York City scheduled for September 26.
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