Caribbean American Heritage Month: Wall of Fame, Track Star Sanya Richards-Ross

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orn in Kingston, Jamaica, on February 26, 1985, Sanya Richards-Ross moved to the United States with her family at the age of 12. They lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a place her parents thought would best suit their aspiring track star's career. Richards-Ross demonstrated her talents early on, scoring a silver medal in the 400-meter event and a bronze medal in the 200-meter event at the 2002 World Junior Championships. That same year, she was named the Gatorade National High School Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

While a student at the University of Texas, Richards-Ross became the 2003 NCAA 400-meter champion. That same year, she won the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 200-meter event. Competing at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Richards-Ross helped bring home gold in the 400-meter relay.

Richards-Ross took the track world by storm in 2006 with two victories at the World Cup, taking the top spot in both the 200-meter and 400-meter events. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she earned two medals. She helped take the gold in the 400-meter relay, and scored her first individual medal in the 200-meter event.

 

Richards-Ross began struggling with some health issues in 2007, and had to sit out the 2010 season because of an injury. She quickly recovered, however, and became the 400-meter World Indoor Champion in 2012. After receiving a bronze medal in 2008, Richards-Ross began to focus on achieving a personal goal: Earning a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

 

In August 2012, Richards-Ross achieved her goal for the gold, winning the women's 400 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, and becoming a three-time Olympic gold medalist. The win marked her first independent gold medal.

Sanya Richards-Ross and husband Aaron Ross

Richards-Ross is married to her college boyfriend, Aaron Ross, a professional football player. He played with the New York Giants from 2007 to 2011, and is now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Outside of competition, Richards-Ross runs the Sanya Richards Fast Track Program to help children in her native nation, Jamaica.

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