Seeing as this blog is named Zaza, it’s only right that the first post honors someone who’s quite literally the baddest of them all.
Before we get into it, what exactly does it mean to be the “baddest?”
It’s not about perfection, but being unapologetically yourself. Being able to break out of molds and push past the limits. They simply are just so bad at being their bad self.
A Star is born in Texas
Sha’Carri Richardson was born in Dallas Texas, March 25th 2000. She was raised by her grandmother and aunt, whom she calls mom. Growing up she was a dedicated, determined girl that strived for excellence.
As a sophomore in high school she competed at a national level for track at the Amateur Athletic Union. After a record-breaking freshman year at LSU, Sha’Carri turned pro in June 2019, signed with Nike, and by April 2021 she had clocked the sixth-fastest 100m ever (10.72s). At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics she won silver in the 100 meter and gold for the 4×100 meter race.
Now this pic alone just proved that she is in fact the baddest:
Telling Refinery 29 after the race,
“I looked over and I just knew that no matter what was going on, there was nobody that I was going to allow — even myself — to be in front of me. I wasn’t going to even allow myself to not cross that finish line in first place and not get that medal, or to let down those ladies and the support that we received when it comes to us crossing the finish line, in first place as Team USA.”
Damn.
Fast and Fierce
Sha’Carrie puts infinite effort, love, and dedication into her sport and herself. She doesn’t just run, she shows up for herself on and off the track.
“I really just wanted people to know that you can be yourself,” she told NBC following a race in 2022. “That means you wanna be sexy, you wanna be cute, you wanna express yourself in ways that nobody has before? Don’t let that stop you.”
Sha’ Carrie embodies a unique sense of style that represents nobody but herself, for nobody but herself. From her hair, nails, clothes, this diva has landed Marc Jacobs eye wear campaigns, been on the cover of Vogue, and also has been to the 2021 and 2024 Met Gala.
The World Tried to Cancel Her… and Failed
While the 2024 Paris Olympic Games was her first time participating in the Olympics, it was the second one she qualified for. Sha’Carrie was qualified to participate in the 2020 (2021 due to Covid) Games, but was disqualified due to a failed drug problem.
Look- rules are rules. BUT let’s be real: weed is not a performance enhancer. In the sport world, PEDs (actually performance enhancing drugs) are a serious issue, this was just not it.
In 2021 Sha’Carrie learned about the death of her biological mother from a REPORTER a week before the Olympic trials.
She turned to marijuana to “cope”. (I say this in quotes because only she knows the real truth not what some pr wanted her to say.) She still ran. She still qualified. And then was banned from competition for a month and disqualified from competing at the Tokyo Olympics in August.
As any human can understand, sometimes we all need a little vice to escape the pain. It’s nothing but normal.
As she even tweeted “I am human”
-On the other end, everyone actually STFU.
BECAUSE, LETS JUST POINT OUT that during the 2022 Winter Olympic games Kamila Valieva, a Russian skater or whatever, tested positive for trimetazidine which is a performance-enhancing heart medication and is BANNED by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Anywho her results weren’t revealed till AFTER the games started and she was still allowed to compete??
Make it make sense. Like girl so confusing for real.
The double standard was loud. And Sha’Carri called it out through a series of tweets.
Comeback Girl
But back to the baddest queen, she handled this public scandal like a champ.
She was favored to run and win, and with her disqualification, people seemed to switch on her.
But the queen wasn’t going to let anyone or anything get to her. She understood she broke the rules, but she wasn’t looking in the past. She was looking to move forward and not let anyone’s opinions get to her.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions,” Richardson said on the Today show in (year). “I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do and am allowed not to do, and I still made that decision. I’m not making an excuse. I’m not looking for any empathy in my case.”
I would also point out there are many things public figures do and say for the sake of the public and protecting from hate. She later tweeted that she was forced to do this interview and one day she will tell her true stroy.
Acknowledging the discrimination and double standards she received from the media and online, she didn’t let it go unnoticed and stood her ground against it.
Sha’Carrie knows who she is and the people who mean the most to her.
“That whole situation was a very big growing and touching experience for me and my community.” -Teen Vogue (year)
“The past will come up, but I know I am not that,” Sha’Carri says.
She’s always looking to stay ready. Always moving forward. After hitting a few bumps, Sha’ Carrie came back stronger in June 2023 for the USATF Outdoor Championships.
She stated at a post race interview, “Now, I stand here with you again, and I’m ready, mentally, physically and emotionally,” she said in a post-race interview. “I’m here to say, ‘I’m not back, I’m better.’”
And better she gets.
She’s Just Getting Started
Sha’Carri Richardson, is only 25 years old and is just getting started. Her style and her sport are constantly developing for the better. She knows herself and her people. Not letting anyone, or anything hold her back. She isn’t afraid to fail in public, and she’s able to hold herself grounded. No challenge is too big for her to overcome, and through it all she will only get stronger and better. She isn’t for anyone, but always for herself.
That’s why she truly is the baddest of them all.
Sources:
I do not own the rights to any images. Compiled from Vouge, Essence, People magazine.
Axon, R. (2024, August 13). Sha’Carri Richardson wins gold in Paris Olympics after stunning comeback. USA Today. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/08/13/shacarri-richardson-stare-down-paris-olympics-race/74788891007/
Biography.com Editors. (n.d.). Sha’Carri Richardson. Biography. https://www.biography.com/athletes/a60383465/shacarri-richardson
Germain, A. (2023, August 29). Sha’Carri Richardson is the fastest woman in the world. Now she’s running on her own terms. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/shacarri-richardson-profile
Reed, J. (2024, May 20). Sha’Carri Richardson’s Paris run is about much more than weed. MSNBC. https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/shacarri-richardson-paris-marijuana-rcna158636
Epperson, J. (2024, June 25). Sha’Carri Richardson is ready for her Olympic comeback. Refinery29. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/shacarri-richardson-paris-olympics-2024