Meet the unstoppable Jamaican Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.

Her name is synonymous with speed and even in public, it's practically impossible trying to strike up a conversation with her as she prefers to maintain a low profile.

But don't let that introverted personality fool you – her journey to becoming a five-time Olympic champion and the world's second-fastest woman alive is inspiring.

Frankly, many people would not have cast her as the next great Jamaican Olympic Champion because she wasn't the sharpest athlete in her younger days.

Born in the humble district of Banana Ground in the parish of Manchester, Jamaica, this is the true Cinderella story of an extraordinary Jamaican track star. 

Her grandmother's influence

Thompson-Herah credits her grandmother for setting her on the path to sprint greatness.

As a child, she would memorize shopping lists her grandmother gave her, sprinting back home as fast as possible to catch cartoons on the television.

High school challenges and achievements

During her high school years, Thompson-Herah competed for Christiana High School and Manchester High School.

In 2009, she took fourth place in the Class Two 100 meters at the Jamaican ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships with a time of 12.01 seconds.



Her Cinderella transformation 

After high school, Thompson-Herah was recruited by Paul Francis, the brother of MVP Track Club head coach.

Under his tough-love mentorship, she experienced a significant improvement in her performance.

In 2013, she achieved a personal best of 11.41 at the Gibson Replay and secured second place at the Jamaica Intercollegiate Championships.

Elaine's big break

Elaine's big break came in 2015 at the Utech Classic, where she ran the 100 meters in under 11 seconds for the first time and achieved a personal best of 21.66 seconds in the 200-meter event.

Her personal best time in the 100 meters, 10.84 seconds, placed her 30th in the world’s all-time ranking.

Injuries and victories

Injuries prevented her from replicating her phenomenal performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she won gold in the 100 meters and the 200 meters.

But she was determined.

Elaine's dedication soared, resulting in a gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Her time of 10.61 seconds earned her the title of "the fastest woman alive," marking the second-fastest time in the history of the women’s event.

Married to Derron-Herah

Elaine tied the knot with former athlete Derron Herah in November 2019.

Derron is described as Elaine's rock who supports her athletic career and partners with her to manage several successful businesses.