Noah Lyles’ girlfriend shares how thought of going back to poverty motives her to succeed in athletics

Junelle Bromfield was a vital member of the Jamaican 400m squad at the Paris Olympic Games

Noah Lyles’ girlfriend shares how thought of going back to poverty motives her to succeed in athletics

Joel Omotto 18:30 - 24.09.2024

Noah Lyles’ girlfriend Junelle Bromfield has detailed how athletics took her out of poverty with the thought of going back fueling her desire to become successful in sports.

Jamaican track star Junelle Bromfield has shared how the poverty she experienced as a child motivates her to succeed in athletics so that she does not return to those dark days.

The 26-year-old is popularly known for being the girlfriend of American sprint king Noah Lyles but she carved out a path for herself in athletics thanks to the struggles she experienced a child.

Bromfield has disclosed how her mother went beyond the limits to ensure they were well fed, even when she did not have money, but having discovered what her mum was hiding from them, she vowed to become an Olympian and save herself and family from poverty.

“I grew up in a poor community it is called George’s Valley where when I grew up, I didn’t see a profession bigger than a teacher,” Bromfield shared during an interview with Sim Soul Sessions.

“Growing up, my mum did an amazing job of not letting us know that we were poor. We never went to bed hungry but when I was eight, I travelled and I use this story as a reference.

“On nights when she did not have any money, she used to make us oatmeal and it tasted so good but we used to wait like 30 minutes to get that oatmeal because she had it soaking in the fridge and when we got it, half the cup was water and there was oatmeal at the bottom.

“So, I thought that is how you eat oatmeal. So, I went to a meet when I was eight and I had something different like they gave me oatmeal and it was thick and I was like this is not how to make oatmeal but everybody was like this is how you eat oatmeal and that is when I realized that I was living in a whole different world from even people who were in Kingston.”

Bromfield, who went on to win an Olympics silver with Team Jamaica in the 4x400m relay at the 2020 Games, says that experience was an eye opener which saw her revise her ambitions in life.

“The people and kids were like you are country but that is just what I knew and I started to see the world differently,” she added.

“When I came out, I was like yeah, I don’t want to go back because I don’t want to be limited to just being a teacher, I don’t want to stop going to school at 14 or 15. I want to go my furthest in life and I was like I want to be an Olympian.”

Bromfield made her second straight appearance at the Olympics when she qualified for the 2024 Paris Games in 400m, her first in an individual event.

She exited at the semi-final after finishing eighth in her heat before she teamed up with Team Jamaica for the 4x400m relay where they managed fifth place.

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