There is no doubt that there is a supernatural being guiding Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, fondly called “Pocket Rocket” by her many fans. Small in stature, she is a giant on the track and has now written her name into the history books as a female athlete.
Fraser-Pryce was named Sports Woman of the Year at the RJR/Gleaner National Awards last month, and she is now a contender for the Laureus Sports Woman of the Year award.
Not many athletes can return to reclaiming their former glory after childbirth. She did that after giving birth to her son Zyon, and at the deferred World Athletic Championship, she won gold in the 100m held in Eugene, Oregon.
Vocal about her faith, Shelly-Ann, in an interview with Evangelical Focus, gave credit where it was really due.
“I believe God gave me a gift. I believe that God has given me a gift. The secret of my success is that I am a competitor. I love competing, and I work hard, I am diligent, and I am determined,” she said after the race.
She has also not been shy about sharing her faith on social media; at one point, she wrote, “I thank God every day for the way He has shaped me and for the voice He has given me, and I use it to make life easier for the next generation of female athletes.”
Not short on confidence, Fraser-Pryce returned her gaze to the master as she told NBC Sports that her faith in the Lord is what keeps her going.
“I’ve always believed the word of God, and when he says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I believe those things. I believe him when he says that he who has begun a good work in me will see it to completion.What he starts, he finishes. Those are the things that I will forever hold on to. It’s the foundation of everything I do. I’m also very stubborn. I don’t take no for an answer. I’m very competitive, and I’m not leaving until I get my way. It’s who I am,” she said during the interview a few days ago.
After a 2010 setback, she came back stronger than ever, going on to chalk up one victory after another. At the World Athletic Championships, Fraser-Pryce was one of the most decorated athletes in history with 10 gold and four silver medals.She is also the only sprinter to win five world titles in the 100 m. In 2022, she became the oldest sprinter ever to become a world champion. She also holds the distinction of being the first woman to sweep the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m, which she accomplished in 2013 at the same World Championship, going on to win the IAAF World Athlete of the Year.
Coming from the impoverished community of Waterhouse, Shelly-Ann’s mother earned her living as a street vendor. She has not lost sight of that, and after gaining success on the world stage, she is now giving back and impacting the lives of others.
Through her nonprofit organization, the Pocket Rocket Foundation, she has helped student athletes with money and advice for school.Through countless community initiatives and developmental programmes, the foundation has been able to impact the island for the past ten years.
Pocket Rocket Scholars are high school student-athletes between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. Through donations and fundraising efforts, The Pocket Rocket Foundation provides academic scholarships to high school students (2nd–6th form) representing their school in any sporting discipline. Scholarships cover tuition, books, lunch, and transportation.
Looking ahead, the athlete is among six nominees shortlisted for the Laureus Sports Woman of the Year award, the others being US 400 metres hurdles star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek, Spanish footballer Alexia Putellas, US alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and US swimmer Katie Ledecky.
If she wins, it will be the first time after being nominated five times already.
