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Fraser-Pryce Encourages Young Athletes to Persevere

By: , September 26, 2025
Fraser-Pryce Encourages Young Athletes to Persevere
Photo: JIS File
Jamaican sprint legend, Hon. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

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Jamaican sprint legend, Hon. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, has encouraged young athletes to pursue their dreams with determination and perseverance.

She urged them to stay strong and go after their goals without fear even in the face of challenges.

“Sometimes our blessings come, but they are bottled or wrapped in thorns, and some obstacles and some hurdles and storms, but they don’t last forever. It’s up to us to find our way through them,” she said.

Mrs. Fraser Pryce was speaking at a welcome home reception on Monday (Sept. 22) at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston.

She was returning from the recently concluded World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, where she won a silver medal in the 4X100-metre relay. The sprint legend has indicated that the championships was her final competition on the international stage.

Mrs. Fraser-Pryce expressed gratitude to her supporters and sponsors, including GraceKennedy and the company’s late former Chief Executive Officer, Don Wehby, for his encouragement and confidence in her abilities.

“He would always tell me that I’m the greatest of all time and those are the things that I think, ultimately propel you to go forward, even if things are not looking how you want it to look,” she noted.

Mrs. Fraser-Pryce, who is exiting the sport after an 18-year career, is the most decorated 100-metre sprinter in history, with a total of 10 world championship gold medals, six silver and one bronze.

She also has eight Olympic medals – three gold, four silver, and one bronze.

It is fitting that she is ending her career in Japan, having had her first international competition at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.

Reflecting on her achievements, Mrs. Fraser-Pryce said “it’s not just about me. It’s so many other Jamaican athletes that came before me. As much as I have created my own legacy, I have partnered with them on their legacies.”

Mrs. Fraser Pryce said it was especially meaningful to share her final race with upcoming sprint stars.

“I’m hoping that with me being there in that moment, they will feel inspired to understand that there’s so much more for them to achieve…they only have to go for it,” she said.

“It has been an amazing chapter… and to be able to share the moment with upcoming queens is also remarkable,” she added.

Mrs. Fraser-Pryce was the first Caribbean woman to win Olympic gold in the 100 metres at the 2008 Beijing Games and was the third woman in history to defend the title at the 2012 London Olympics.

Last Updated: September 26, 2025