As Saint Lucia celebrates a historic medal, this is the story of the new Olympic sensation, who lost her father at 12 and moved to Jamaica to learn from her idol, Usain Bolt
Making history all the way (Photo: Getty Images)
Fresh Olympic champion Julien Alfred is now gaining world recognition after her remarkable victory in the 100-meter final, securing a historic gold medal with a national record of 10.72 seconds at the Paris Olympics.
Reaching the top of the podium was not a smooth passage for the 23-year-old devout Christian, whose victory came in front of 69,000 spectators, just 110,000 fewer than the population of Saint Lucia.
The 23-year-old faced a challenging start to life, losing her father at the age of 12. Five years later, just before she won Youth Olympic Games 100m silver in Buenos Aires in 2018, her aunt Karen Alfred, who had helped raise her, passed away. "I'm sure he would have wished for me to get this medal and be here for this moment," Alfred said at the time.
Julien attended high school in both Saint Lucia and Jamaica before moving to the University of Texas during the 2018-19 academic year, where she studied Youth and Community Studies.
The loss of her father affected her deeply, leading her to step away from athletics temporarily. Two years later, at age 14, she decided to go to school in Jamaica, the home of her idol Usain Bolt, leaving her family behind. "I got an opportunity to go to Jamaica. So I think getting the opportunity to go to a place where Usain Bolt is was ideal and I decided I wanted to be there and my mum gave me the opportunity to go", she described.
Educated among the best athletic minds in Jamaica during her younger years, Alfred has maintained a deep connection with the island. She attended high school in both Saint Lucia and Jamaica before moving to the University of Texas during the 2018-19 academic year, where she studied Youth and Community Studies.
Historic medal for Julien Alfred and St. Lucia (Photo: Getty Images)
Known as 'Juju', Alfred would not have thought then that she would develop into a talent who would compete on the Olympic stage where her idol, Usain Bolt, shone so brightly.
While it was no secret that Alfred was a contender for gold, she made it look effortless by posting a 10.72 to Richardson's 10.87.
At just 23 years old, Alfred is expected to be a contender for many Olympics to come. Her success could bolster the Olympic program of Saint Lucia, inspiring future successful athletes.
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