Sha'Carri Richardson pens heartfelt message for her grandmother while navigating season with underwhelming performances

Sha'Carri Richardson recently penned a heartwarming message for her grandmother, Betty Harp, amid struggling with her form in the 2025 season. The American sprinter is currently gearing up for her appearance at the US National Track and Field Championships.

The 2025 season so far hasn't turned out as expected for Sha'Carri Richardson, as she has delivered some underwhelming performances in the events she has participated in. She opened the 2025 season by competing at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, where she fell short of earning a podium finish in the 100m dash after finishing fourth with a time of 11.47s.

Her second race of the season at the 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic was also disappointing, as she earned a ninth-place finish in the 100m after recording a time of 11.19s. These races seemingly show that Richardson has been struggling with her form this year, and she recently revealed the reason behind her struggles, stating that she was recovering from an injury.

While navigating these adversities, Richardson recently penned an emotional message for her grandmother, thanking her for her support. She uploaded an adorable selfie with Harp and added a note that read:

"Thank you for filling me up this year! Your strength inspired me!"

Richardson recently sent a strong message to her competitors ahead of her appearance at the US National Championships, which is scheduled to begin on July 31, 2025.

When Sha'Carri Richardson opened up about how her grandmother fueled her quest for winning medals

Sha'Carri Richardson once sat for a conversation with Teen Vogue in 2022, where she opened up about an incident with her grandmother that fueled her desire to win medals. Recalling an incident from her childhood, she said that her grandmother used to make a medal plaque for her aunt, and when Richardson asked for the same, her grandmother motivated her to earn those medals.

“My grandmother made [my mother] a big plaque full of medals and I saw it one day and was like, ‘I want that. I want you to bring me one, Granny.’ And [my grandmother] was like, ‘Well you got to do something to get some medals!'" Richardson said. "And honestly from then on it was just like, ‘If you want to do something, if you want to be great, you got to put your all into it,'" said Sha'Carri Richardson.

Sha'Carri Richardson was raised by her grandmother after her biological mother abandoned her. Betty Harp motivated the American to pursue a career in track and field and has always been the biggest supporter. From cheering her on at the Olympic Games to supporting her during tough times, her grandmother has always been there for her.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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Edited by Mitali