By: Zahra Bokhari

An Olympic track star and trailblazer for women on and off the field, the AAU is pleased to commemorate Sha’Carri Richardson for Women’s History Month this year. Richardson was an AAU Track and Field member from 2015-2016 in her hometown of Dallas, Texas where she was born and raised.

Known as one of the fastest American women in history, Richardson began her track journey in her teenage years. She won Texas state titles in the 100m and 200m while representing her high school.

While participating in Carter High School’s track and field program, Richardson had her own endeavors on the side. In 2016, she won the 100m title in the largest national youth multi-sport event in the United States, the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

After high school, Richardson enrolled at Louisiana State University where she competed for the LSU Lady Tigers track and field team. With the Lady Tigers, she was a finalist in the 60-meter dash at the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships and broke two U20 world records.

Shortly after the 2019 NCAA Championships, with a title under her belt Richardson announced she would be moving onto bigger by signing a professional contract to forgo collegiate eligibility and began training with Dennis Mitchell, a former Olympic Sprinter, and be sponsored by Nike.

In 2023, Richardson became a World Champion winning the 100m final, 4x100m relay and won bronze in the women’s 200m. Her relay time of 9.65 seconds was the fastest in history. She also won her first Diamond League victory by winning the 100 m in Doha, Qatar that same year.

One year later Sha’Carri Richardson went on to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics where she secured her first Olympic Gold and Silver medals while going viral on social media.  She won the 100m in 10.75 seconds breaking a 42-year-old record set by Marlies Göhr.

Aside from her accolades, Richardson prides herself on breaking stereotypes of what an athlete should look like and wear while competing. She is well-known for her bold fashion from bright catsuits to fishnet tights.

In 2022, she told NBC, “I really just want people to know that you can be yourself.” 

Other ways Richardson expresses herself is through the colorful wigs, makeup, and nail art she wears while racing. Bold and bright colors never seem to scare Richardson away, she is so widely known for her style to the point where she attended the Met Gala in 2021 to support Black designer Theophilio.

“Black is excellent, Black is strong,” Richardson told Vogue. “I’m very proud of the fact that I’ll be wearing a Black designer tonight, to represent that we’re here and we’re part of America.”

Throughout her career, she has been outspoken about social injustice, particularly in the Black community.

Ricardson is a prime example of always bouncing back regardless of adversity over gender and race. Her fierce determination to always hold herself to higher standards is a trait everyone can learn. The AAU is proud to honor her through this year’s Women’s History Month spotlight.