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A litany of problems chronicled Julien Alfred's early life as an athlete but the Olympic 100m champion rose above adversity to the top of the world in Paris.
Paris Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred's career so far has been full of mishaps and triumphs in equal measure.
While Saint Lucia's finest developed an unassailable mentality weeks before the Paris Games, the death of her father was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.
It took a toll on her such that it affected her mental wellbeing and giving up was considered a more viable option for the little-known jewel from the Caribbean nation.
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13:37 - 22.12.2024
Julien Alfred: Key moments in 2024 that allowed St Lucia’s golden girl to push the famous Jamaica sprint nursery off the Olympic podium
Julien Alfred finally broke Jamaica's dominance in sprints by winning the 100m at the Paris Olympics but her achievement was highlighted with key moments in her fruitful 2024 season.
At 14, she also left home to hone her sprints skills in Jamaica and the idea of staying away from family and loved ones was another bitter pill to swallow. After undergoing mental therapy, Alfred, 24, was rejuvenated and ready to terrorize the world at the Paris Games.
Not only did Alfred make it to Paris, but she departed the French capital as a double sprint medalist, following up her historic 100m triumph with Olympic 200m silver behind American Gabby Thomas three days later.
Reflecting the whirlwind of occurrences that made success possible, she told the BBC: "It's been a long journey. You don't just get here. I left home at 14, moved to Jamaica, then Texas. I have been through a lot of trials and tribulations, a lot of hardships."
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19:57 - 21.12.2024
How mastering 'emotional' control after loss to Julien Alfred fuelled Sha'Carri Richardson to anchor USA to 4x100m relay Olympics gold
Richardson has explained how mastering the art of emotional control after falling short of getting gold in the 100m fueled her into anchoring team USA to 4x100m relay Olympics gold.
She added: "When you finally cross the line and get gold, the thing you have worked so hard for your entire life, it is such an amazing feeling. I was screaming at the top of my lungs."
Alfred hinted at the medals to come by winning Commonwealth Youth Games 100m gold in 2017 and Youth Olympic silver one year later.
She achieved her first international senior medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 and, after finishing fourth over 200m and fifth over 100m at the 2023 World Championships, Alfred announced her Olympic credentials by winning world indoor 60m gold in March.
Having seen the impact of her successes, she is determined to use her influence to develop the sport in St Lucia while also promoting her country on the global stage as a tourism ambassador. "It's such an amazing feeling [to represent St Lucia]. Life has changed in so many different ways," Alfred said.
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