Kristen Gyles | Lessons from Sha’Carri Richardson

Just two years ago, Sha’Carri Richardson was ‘Sha Can’t Run’ and ‘Sha Come Last’ and all the other uncomplimentary descriptors Jamaicans could find. She had just clocked in ‘dead last’ in her first race after having missed the Tokyo Olympics due to her positive drug test. She tested positive for THC, a chemical compound found in marijuana. So, not only was she the subject of disdain for her unfulfilled, overconfident boasts but for her perceived lack of discipline in using a banned substance during the critical in-competition period.

What many didn’t know and what others didn’t care to know was that only days before the United States Olympic trials, she found out during an interview with a reporter, that her mother had died. Mourning the loss of her mother, she turned to marijuana as a means of coping. Unfortunately, her negative drug test rendered her ineligible to compete in the Olympic 100-metre race, her signature event, and all other events scheduled to be held during her 30-day suspension period.

She clearly wasn’t having the time of her life. At 21 years old, having to deal with the loss of a close relative can’t be easy, especially when there is international pressure resting on you. Fortunately for Richardson, she silenced all the critics when she won the 100-metre title at the recently concluded 2023 World Athletics Championships.

The trajectory of Richardson’s career over the past two years can teach so many lessons for talented young people starting out in their respective careers. The first and most obvious lesson is that talk is cheap. Who or what you claim to be doesn’t define your actual ability, talent or aptitude. No matter how much you tell yourself or the world that you are the best thing the world has ever seen, your claims will fall flat if not backed by talent and bolstered by consistent work. Sometimes it’s better to just shut up and do the work, which will speak for itself.

As a Nike-sponsored athlete, Richardson should have known to “Just do it!”.

TALK IS CHEAP

To add to that, people’s perceptions of you don’t need to become your reality. In the same way that your talk is cheap, so is everyone else’s. Not just their cheap insults, but their praises too. Don’t get high off the ‘big-ups’ and don’t get low from the beat-downs. You would be surprised how easily today’s friends can become tomorrow’s enemies. Sha’Carri has learnt this. In one of her interviews recently in Budapest, she said “I’m not worried about the world any more. I’ve seen the world be my friend. I’ve seen the world turn on me…”

There is a place for ignoring people and just pressing forward with what you have to do. Which is another critical lesson – natural talent alone will do little in getting anyone where they want to go. Without a resolve to put in the necessary work consistently, an individual will die with their unused talent. When we acknowledge that success is largely a matter of hard work, somehow it’s easier to realise that we really aren’t very special after all and the inclination to boast and brag diminishes.

Another nugget from the ‘Sha’catalogue’ of life lessons is that unfortunately, it becomes much more difficult, though much more critical, to maintain emotional control during tough times. The worse things got for Sha’Carri, the greater the opposition she faced from faceless bullies and trolls who bashed her on and offline. To some, she didn’t hold up very well. Richardson had very creative ways of reacting to all the negative pressure. She had more mouth, teeth and tongue than her adrenaline could keep up with to begin with, and with the barrage of insults and criticisms, she seemed to be fighting back with a peppery attitude, questionable social media etiquette and overall pettiness. When you are 21 and mourning, this should be understandable, but Sha’Carri is a celebrity, and celebrities are most definitely not human, remember?

LESSON

The lesson here is that no matter what is going on, don’t get drawn out. When you allow people to knock you off your emotional equilibrium and get you to act out of character, you make a fool of yourself, and they get entertained.

Lastly, it appears that most Jamaicans have put aside their ‘differences’ with Richardson. Why is that? Some will say she is much nicer and sweeter now. However true that might be, the bandwagon effect is real. It’s not popular to dislike Richardson any more. After all, she now holds the title of ‘fastest woman alive’, and she is no longer showing signs of emotional vulnerability. Unfortunately, she had to overcome crippling personal challenges on her own before most of her newly found fans could support her. Now that she is more mature and emotionally stable, and therefore no longer in need of validation from every Tom, Dick and Harry, we all love Richardson. That’s life, I guess.

Just at the start of the 100-metre race at the US Track and Field Championships earlier this year, Sha’Carri Richardson pulled off a long orange wig, revealing her neat and freshly done braided hair style, making it clear she had worn the wig only as a prop. In explaining the stunt, she said she wanted everyone to know “I’m still that girl but I’m better… stronger… wiser. I had to shed the old and present the new.”

Hopefully, we can all learn a thing or two from a woman’s journey to a better self.

Kristen Gyles is a free-thinking public affairs opinionator. Send feedback to kristengyles@gmail.com