Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has already battled her way from abject poverty to a level of relative riches that will allow her to give her son Zyon a more comfortable upbringing than she experienced.
Yet the engaging 1.52 metres (5 foot) 32-year-old 'pocket rocket' is not done yet.
The enduring Fraser-Pryce won the first of her two Olympic 100 metre titles in 2008. She has four individual World Athletics Championships golds. In 2013, in Moscow, she became only the third woman to achieve a sprint double and could repeat the historic feat in Doha.
Her main rivals for the 100m, which gets underway on Saturday, are likely to be compatriot Elaine Thompson and Briton Dina Asher-Smith.
Yet Fraser-Pryce is fortunate even to even be running after missing the 2017 season with a difficult pregnancy.
"Honestly, I think my son kind of put things in perspective, where I can say, 'I'm OK, I have my son, now I've achieved so much, but I still want more,'" she told sports and pop culture website The Undefeated last year.
Fraser-Pryce may want more from the track but she has plenty going on off it. She owns a hair salon -- not a great surprise given her penchant for dyeing her hair exotic colours. She also spends a lot of time talking to youngsters in her community about improving their lives.
"If you understand Shelly, she's a behind-the-scenes person," her local priest, Winston Jackson, told Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner in 2012.
"If she's going to help somebody, she will do it in private. She doesn't like all the excitement." Her work with children has a personal side after a childhood in a violent ghetto in Kingston -- a cousin was shot dead close to the family home -- but where she refused to accept her lot was to just survive.
Much of this steeliness was infused into her psyche by her mother, Maxine who brought up Shelly-Ann her two brothers up on her own in the Waterhouse neighbourhood, telling her daughter: 'you have a talent go and use it.'
- 'No lunch money' -
====================
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
