From Humble Beginnings to Record-Breaking Sprinter

Sha’Carri was born in Dallas, Texas, and found her passion for running at an early age. Little is known about her biological parents, as she was not raised by them. Instead, a young Sha’Carri started calling her aunt, Shay Richardson, Mom.

Her grandmother, Betty Harp, or “Big Mama,” also had a huge impact on the athlete’s life. Lauren Cross, the track coach at Sha’Carri’s high school, Carter High School, was another key figure during Sha’Carri’s developmental years.

The track coach saw Sha’Carri’s extraordinary talent when she was just 14 and nurtured it. Lauren recalled the amazement of onlookers, saying, “People would say, ‘That little girl, she’s running so fast?’”

She often thought about the medals on Big Mama’s wall — awards won by Shay, the family track star. Inspired by her aunt, young Sha’Carri would challenge her to races up their South Dallas street.

“We’d go from the bottom of the hill to Big Mama’s car. She [Shay] didn’t slow down. She didn’t let me win. And I think it was in fifth grade, the day I touched the car first. That’s when I knew,” Sha’Carri reminisced.

Under Lauren’s guidance, Sha’Carri left competitors in the dust, easily breaking Texas state records. However, Lauren soon became more than a coach. Sha’Carri saw her as extended family, earning Lauren the title of Godmother.

Sha’Carri won three Texas state titles in high school and became the top-ranked sprinter in the class of 2018. By the time she graduated, Sha’Carri was the number-one female sprint recruit in the United States.

In her freshman year at Louisiana State University, Sha’Carri broke the 100-meter collegiate record with a time of 10.75 seconds. This made her one of the ten fastest women in history at that time.

Her rapid rise in college athletics left little else to prove, so she turned professional. Sha’Carri signed with Nike and began training under Dennis Mitchell, who saw immense potential in her.

Dennis described Sha’Carri as a “once-in-a-generation talent.” He further noted, “Running that fast, it’s not natural — not for anyone. You have to teach your body to push that hard and to make all the little adjustments that shave off a half-second here, a half-second there.”