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Two-time Olympic medalist, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, had played a prominent role in saving her father's life by donating her stem cells. The well-known American sprinter recently etched a notable feat by winning her second Grand Slam Track title.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 100 metres and the 200 metres race events in the first slam of the Grand Slam Track league, which was held in Kingston, Jamaica, from April 4-6, 2025. The second slam took place in Miami, United States, from May 2-4, 2025, in which she won the 100 metres event and came third in the 200 metres event. Subsequently, she won the slam titles in both Jamaica and Miami.
The two-time gold medalist from the World Championships donated stem cells to her father, Melvin Jefferson who was suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome, which is a type of blood cancer in which the bone marrow is not able to create an adequate amount of healthy blood cells.
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Her father required a stem cell transplant, and Jefferson-Wooden was the most suitable match out of her family. According to SELF, she began the donation process in 2018, when she was a senior in high school. Due to the procedure, she was able to save her father's life. The athlete shared her thoughts regarding the procedure as per SELF via WMBF News.
"They always made sure that I knew that I didn’t have to do this, but I was like, ‘It’s my dad, I’m going to do it because I want him around for a long time.’”
The sprinter won a gold medal in the 4×100 m relay race at the 2024 World Relays.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden reflects on winning her second Grand Slam Track title
Track star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden recently shared her thoughts on winning the Grand Slam Title for the second time in Miami. She expressed her views in an interview with Athletics Weekly.
"It feels amazing job is always to come out here and execute to the best of my ability and I'm getting more used to doing that just literally listening and listening to my coach and do what it is he wants me to do and I'm getting I'm reaping the benefits of it," she shared. [0:03 onwards]
In 2021, she won the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in the 60 metres race event.
