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‘Find your passion’ - Fraser-Pryce advises young and up-and-coming athletes to establish career after sport
December 30, 2025
Find our passion outside of track and field and work hard at the craft. That is the advice Jamaica female sprinting icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has for young athletes coming up in the sport.
Fraser-Pryce, who was honoured by Waterhouse Football Club on Sunday for her nearly two decades of outstanding performances on the global stage, said a track and field career is the be-all and end-all for many young athletes, and they need to focus on career development in a wholesome manner.
In this regard, she pointed out that athletes, like other people, have other passions, aspirations, and dreams and encouraged them to find the thing they love most outside of the sport and dedicate time and effort in nurturing and developing those interests.
"The advice is to really be true to who they are," Fraser-Pryce said after being presented with a citation on behalf of the Waterhouse Football Club from chairman Bruce Bicknell during the halftime interval of their Jamaica Premier League football match against Molynes United FC.
"Continue to work hard and understand that outside of track and field, know who they are because track and field is what they do, it's not who they are.
"So find a passion outside (the sport), something that you love and just continue to work hard at the craft. You'll have good days and bad days, good seasons and bad seasons, but every experience has a learning lesson. Take the lesson and build on it," she said.
The sprint legend, who has 18 years of experience competing at the highest level, winning two Olympic 100m gold medals, five World Championships 100m gold medals and a 200m gold, declared that she has no intention of venturing into coaching despite her wealth of knowledge and experience.
However, mentoring young athletes is something she has done passionately throughout her career and will continue to do as her way of contributing to the development of young athletes.
"No. No plans to coach," she stated flatly when the question was posed. "I always mentor. I have been mentoring for the last 18 years because I have always been an advocate for the sport and for the athletes, especially Jamaican athletes, because I know we have it little bit harder," Fraser-Pryce stated.
"We don't have the proper structure or resources to get what we really want, but we make good with what we have, and for that, we (Jamaicans) are eternally grateful for the sacrifice young athletes make.
"So for me, I'm always in a position of mentoring whenever Jamaicans step on the field."
