‘My faith has kept me going,’ athlete Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce gets emotional as she expresses gratitude at the end of her illustrious career and announces her retirement at the age of 38
In the electric atmosphere of Tokyo’s National Stadium, under the glaring lights of the 2025 World Athletics Championships, Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce stood at the finish line one final time. The crowd, a sea of green, gold, and black waving Jamaican flags, held its breath as the petite powerhouse crossed the tape in the women’s 100m final. At 10.85 seconds, it wasn’t her fastest time ever, but it was enough for a bronze medal—her 11th at a World Championships. More importantly, it was the punctuation mark on a career that redefined resilience in track and field. Moments later, microphone in hand during the post-race ceremony, Fraser-Pryce’s voice cracked with emotion. “My faith has kept me going,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “Through the highs, the lows, the injuries, the doubts—God has carried me. Today, I retire at 38, grateful beyond words for this journey.”
The announcement, though anticipated after months of hints, landed like a thunderclap. Fraser-Pryce, known affectionately as the “Pocket Rocket” for her 5-foot stature and explosive speed, had teased her exit earlier in the year. In April, an Instagram reel of her greatest hits ended with “unfinished business,” signaling a farewell lap after an abrupt withdrawal from the 2024 Paris Olympics. That heartbreaking pullout before the 100m semifinals—later revealed as a warmup injury—left fans mourning what they feared was the end. But Fraser-Pryce, ever the fighter, returned for 2025, qualifying for her ninth Worlds with a gritty third-place finish at the Jamaican Championships in June. “I needed to end it my way,” she told reporters in Tokyo. “Not on a stretcher in Paris, but here, with my people, running free.”
Born on December 27, 1986, in Waterhouse, a tough Kingston neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence, Fraser-Pryce’s path to glory was anything but predestined. As a child, she navigated a world where survival often trumped dreams. Her mother, a street vendor, sold newspapers and snacks to keep the family afloat, while Fraser-Pryce dodged bullets on her way to school. Track found her in her teens, a refuge discovered through a community program. “Running was my escape,” she later reflected. “It didn’t matter how fast the world spun; on the track, I controlled the pace.” By 2008, at just 21, she stunned the Beijing Olympics, becoming the first Jamaican woman to claim 100m gold. Her 10.78-second victory over heavy favorites like defending champion Lauryn Williams etched her name into history.
What followed was a dynasty of dominance. Fraser-Pryce amassed eight Olympic medals—two golds, four silvers, and two bronzes—tying her with legends like Allyson Felix for the most by a female track athlete. Her haul included back-to-back 100m Olympic golds in 2008 and 2012, a feat that inspired a generation of Jamaican sprinters. At the Worlds, she pocketed 10 medals, including five 100m golds, cementing her as the event’s most decorated performer. Off the track, she shattered barriers: In 2017, after an emergency C-section birth to son Zyon while watching the Worlds final on TV, doubters predicted retirement. Instead, she roared back, winning 100m silver at the 2019 Doha Worlds just two years postpartum. “Motherhood didn’t slow me; it fueled me,” she said. At 33, she became the oldest woman to win an individual world sprint title in 2022, proving age was merely a number.
Yet, Fraser-Pryce’s legacy transcends medals. In a sport often marred by doping scandals and fleeting fame, she embodied authenticity and advocacy. Her signature hair bows—vibrant, ever-changing—became a symbol of self-expression, challenging Eurocentric beauty standards in athletics. “I run for the girls who look like me,” she often said, launching the Pocket Rocket Foundation in 2019 to empower inner-city youth in Jamaica with education and sports access. She’s mentored stars like Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah, fostering Jamaica’s sprint supremacy long after Usain Bolt’s 2017 retirement. Off the track, her marriage to husband Jason Pryce, a fellow athlete turned agent, has been a quiet anchor. Together, they’ve built a life of purpose, with Fraser-Pryce authoring a children’s book and advocating for maternal health in sports.
As she choked back sobs in Tokyo, gratitude poured out. “To Jamaica, my family, my coaches—especially Coach Stephen Francis, who believed when I didn’t—you’ve been my wind beneath these wings,” she continued. “And to the fans: your love? It’s the gold I chased hardest.” The stadium erupted, a chorus of cheers drowning her words. Fellow competitors, from American Sha’Carri Richardson to her Jamaican teammates, rushed the stage in a tearful huddle. Richardson, who edged her for silver, whispered, “You paved the way, Mama Rocket.” Bolt, watching from the stands, tweeted: “Queen Shelly, the track won’t be the same. Thank you for the fire.”
Fraser-Pryce’s retirement at 38 marks the end of an era, but not her influence. In a post-race presser, she hinted at coaching—”I want to give back what the track gave me”—and expanding her foundation. Analysts praise her timing: Unlike Bolt’s abrupt 2017 exit or Justin Gatlin’s drawn-out farewell, Fraser-Pryce’s planned swan song drew record crowds to meets, boosting the sport’s visibility. “She retires on top, healthy, and whole,” said track commentator Ato Boldon. “That’s mastery.”
As the stadium lights dimmed on that September night, Fraser-Pryce lingered on the track, hand over heart, soaking in the roar. Faith, she reiterated, was her constant—through Waterhouse’s hardships, Beijing’s breakthrough, motherhood’s miracles, and Paris’s pain. “I’ve run the race set before me,” she quoted from Hebrews, her voice steady now. At 38, the Pocket Rocket doesn’t fade; she soars into legend, leaving a trail of inspiration for every dreamer lacing up spikes. The track falls silent, but her echo thunders on.
