The Olympic 100m champion talked to dozens of kids at the club and also reflected on her own journey in the sport.
Julien Alfred has finally had a chance to breathe and contemplate a whirlwind past couple of years.
After September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Alfred returned home to Saint Lucia and spent time with friends and family, including taking a long break from social media.
“I needed to be with my people,” she says. “They know me for who I am, despite who I am on the track. I got a chance to detox from everything and be around my loved ones.”
Alfred placed third in the world 100m final in the Japanese capital, clocking 10.84 behind America’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Jamaica’s Tina Clayton. Citing a grade one hamstring strain she sustained during the 100m, the 24-year-old then pulled out of the 200m.
Two months on from that sultry and humid night in Tokyo, Alfred has returned to the track once again but this time it involved speaking to hundreds of kids at Highgate Harriers in North London (November 4).
Since becoming Saint Lucia’s first ever Olympic gold medallist in Paris last summer, the sprinter has been chosen to become the country’s Tourism Ambassador, which involves representing her nation on the world stage outside of competition.
As part of Alfred’s trip to London – she is here for the World Travel Market at the Excel Centre on November 6 – the Olympic 100m champion paid a visit to Highgate Harriers, with the aim of inspiring the next generation.
During her Q&A with Jen Hickson – President of Highgate Harriers – Alfred spoke of her journey from Saint Lucia to Jamaica growing up, the sacrifices she’s had to make in her life and the feeling of standing on top of the podium in Paris.
The Q&A was watched by hundreds of kids and throughout the evening people at the club were keen to get a photo with Alfred where it was possible.
Later in the evening, the sprinter sat down with AW and explained the importance of telling her story to the next generation.
“When I was moving from Saint Lucia to Jamaica, my mum gave me a note saying ‘follow your dream’,” Alfred says. “One thing I said to one of the young girls tonight was never give up. I could think of so many times that I wanted to give up but always remembered that note.
“Just to see how many parents were here watching their kids at practice was amazing because it does mean a lot. You know, my dad passed away in 2013 for example. The fact that these kids here are looking up to me like this definitely motivates me to get back to the track as soon as I can.”
Alfred might not have replicated her success from Paris in Tokyo but she still retained her Diamond League 100m title and recorded a personal best of 21.71 in the 200m this season.
“Tokyo wasn’t what we were hoping for but I was still showed so much love back in Saint Lucia,” Alfred says. “Coming out of college and into the professional world meant I had to pick up a lot of information during that period of my life.
“Usually we all have those down-years but that was not the case for me. I became an Olympic champion soon after leaving college. Wearing that heavy crown ahead of Tokyo was a lot but I have an amazing team to support me and they helped me along the way.”
One person integral to Alfred’s development has been Edrick Floréal, a nine-time All-American at Arkansas and the current Head Coach of Track and Field at the University of Texas. A mentor and a father figure to Alfred, Floréal led the sprinter to the 2022 NCAA 100m title during her collegiate career.
“I can’t put into words how much Coach Flo means to me,” Alfred explains. “He’s had such an impact on my life and I’ve grown so much with him. Moreso in the mental aspect of it, as I was so young, so he’s helped me navigate that side of things.”
Next season could represent another step forward in Alfred’s illustrious career, with major medal opportunities at both the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World Ultimate Championship in Budapest. Her immediate focus is to recover from her hamstring injury and then, after her trip to London, she will fly back to Texas to chat through 2026 goals with Floréal.
