Julien Alfred, Olympic Hero of Saint Lucia, has arrived back in town after securing the first-ever medal in the Paris Olympics for her country. The athlete has won the Gold Medal and has got the title of ‘Women’s 100m’. She had also made her mark by stealing the silver medal spot in the women’s 200m race.
The 23-year-old was welcomed into the town with loud cheers, clapping, and some animated calypso music. She was in tears when she met the Caribbean Prime Minister, Mr. Philip J. Pierre, after landing in the city. She said, “I’m truly lost for words,” when she met her people after becoming the Olympic Hero of her country.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has updated its official Facebook handle about the Olympic Heroine, Julien Alfred, as a Tourism Ambassador of the destination. The ceremony is expected to take place soon, and the Olympic heroine will be given the honor. This was the highest achievement any citizen could get in the country.
Ms. Julien made her debut in the Paris Olympics in August of this year. Her outstanding dedication and hard work gave her a spot in the game, where she defeated some really good players, such as Sha’carri Richardson, whom she left behind with 10.72 seconds. She also participated in the 200m race, where she got a spot for the silver medal with a time of 23.08 seconds.
Earlier this year, Ms. Julien also made her mark in the Diamond League 2024, where she got a gold medal for her excellent performance in the 100m race. Last year, in the Central American and Caribbean Games, Ms. Julien got a gold medal in the 100m race. While interacting with the Media personnel last year, she said, “I have the potential to be one of the best.”
She was very focused on her aim of securing the first-ever Olympic medal for her country. She also conveyed this while saying, “Growing up, I always said I wanted to be one of St. Lucia’s first medallists…. first gold medallists,”.
Her confidence was seen while she was interacting with the media. She also said, “I’m really looking forward to going to the Olympic Games and trying to deliver at that level for my country.” While being in action this year, she proved her statement right by bringing both gold and silver medals for her country.
Julien Alfred was a champion in the Under 15 Central American and Caribbean Games that was held in 2015. As a junior athlete, she also won a gold medal in the 100m race in the Commonwealth Youth Games, which was held in 2017. Both these achievements have a bigger spot for a young player.
After that, Julien has always been a great competitor to her rivals in every tournament. The young girl holds various achievements in the 2023 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Youth Olympics games. In both tournaments, she got a silver medal, which gave her a great spot in the Women’s Running Athletic game.
Though Julien has always remained a shy player, she has always been confident in her game. While addressing the media, she said, “I know how hard I’ve worked to get to this level. I’m really proud of myself for being here and being at this level… [and] be in the top five in the world. I’m really proud of myself and how far I’ve come just seeing how life has led me to being here today.”
Julien is the only athletic player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to have won a 100m title. The young girl has a degree in Youth & Community Studies at the University of Texas in the United States. She has always balanced her degree with sports as she was always keen to pursue her career in sports, which has brought her here today.
The 23-year-old comes from the South Castries Community of Ciceron and was only 12 years old when she lost her father. Ms. Julien Alfred is an inspiration for many young girls and boys who are looking forward to making their career in the field of sports.
Apart from being an Olympic medalist, Ms.Julien also won gold in the women’s 60-meter race at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, with a leading time of 6.98 seconds. She became the first-ever player to have won a medal in the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Her national record time of 10.72 is what delivered her a gold medal in the Summer Olympics 2024 that was held in Paris. After this great achievement, she became the first-ever athlete of St. Lucia to win a medal at the Olympics ever since their independence.
She gave an interview a few years back when she gave huge credit to her coach, who helped her practice and be confident throughout her game. She also said, “The years that I’ve spent in Texas have helped me mature into the person that I am,” Alfred said. “It has made me into this Julien and all the successes that I’ve had.”
The outstanding contributions she has made in the field of sports are what makes her a champion for the country. When she arrived back in the town after winning the Olympic medal, she got a warm welcome at a huge gathering at the Hewanorra International Airport of Saint Lucia.
Sources have indicated that Julien is looking forward to many more International tournaments in the coming year. The government has announced a special gift for the young player for her achievement. 27 September will be known as ‘Julien Alfred Day’ in reference to her win and position as ‘Tourism Ambassador.’
The 22-year-old thanked all her fans through Social Media and promised to make her country proud in all her upcoming matches. Netizens have also made her fan posts where they have made her the real hero of the country after her huge win at the Paris Olympics 2024.
