"Thank you for protecting me"- Sha’Carri Richardson shares emotional message for grandmother Betty Harp

American track star Sha’Carri Richardson shared a heartfelt note on social media for her grandmother, Betty Harp. Richardson and Harp share a close relationship, with the latter raising the athlete in South Dallas with her aunt, Shay Richardson.

Harp also made an appearance at Richardson's events in Paris, cheering on from the sidelines. She has played a huge role in Richardson's upbringing since the loss of her biological mother.

Sha’Carri Richardson is regarded as one of the top sprinters in the nation. She made her breakthrough as a freshman at Louisiana State University, breaking multiple collegiate records. She has since become a dominant force in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events, winning two World Championships gold medals in Budapest.

Outside of competing, Richardson recently became an adviser-owner of the track league known as Athlos and also made an appearance at the 2025 Met Gala.

In a post shared on Instagram, Richardson wrote:

"Thank you for protecting me. Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for loving me."

Betty Harp was also present when Richardson earned qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, with the sprinter running straight into Harp's arms after doing so.

---

Sha’Carri Richardson on the mentality her grandmother raised her with

Richardson and Harp at the 2020 U.S Olympic Trials - Source: Getty

Sha’Carri Richardson has previously discussed the mentality her grandmother Betty Harp raised her with. In an interview with Vogue Magazine in July 2024, Harp said:

“Sha'Carri's tough. I made her tough. I’m a strong woman, I’ve overcome obstacles in my life. So I knew what I was talking about when, from time to time, things got hard and she’d want to quit—I’d say, ‘Don’t start nothing and don’t finish it. You start, you finish.’”

Richardson emphasized her message, saying:

"You keep showing up, no matter what," she said. "Most people, they only think of track every four years. The Olympics, that’s all there is—those few seconds on TV. But for me, track is my life on a day-to-day basis. Everything I do—what I eat, what I drink, if I stay up too late—it’s all reflected on the track. Every choice. That’s what the world doesn’t see."

Sha’Carri Richardson refers to her aunt, Shay, as her mother and affectionately refers to Harp as "Big Momma". Richardson and Shay would race against each other in their neighbourhood, with the track star even recalling a moment where she managed to win a race against her in fifth grade.