Queen Harrison Claye didn’t hesitate to respond when asked to sum up her athletic career to date in just three words.
“Amazing, quick, and fun.”
The latter is mostly a result of her unique character on the track.
Harrison Claye is living proof that you can achieve great succes
Now that Paris 2024 is approaching, though, she also wants to showcase it on the track.
As Queen returns to competition and prepares for the summer Olympic qualifying round, we caught up with her.
s without sacrificing your true self, from her bright outfits to her striking lipstick.
That is exactly the kind of legacy the 35-year-old wants to leave behind.
“I think it would be the way that I hopefully influence the next generation, especially of young girls,” Queen told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.
“My legacy, I pray, is yes she was a fast hurdler, but she also came as herself.”
The hurdler hosts cQueen Harrison amps and clinics,
When you’re a trailblazer, the next generation of athletes look to you – but who inspires you?
For Queen, there is one person in particular who helped shape her formative years as a hurdler.
“I’d be remiss not to Queen Harrison mention Flo Jo [Florence Griffith Joyner],” she revealed.
“You would think it’s just about the style aspect, but it wasn’t. It was about the person… you could tell she left it all on the track.
“Flo Jo would just be ecstatic [after winning] and to me, it showed that she really enjoyed this and it reiterated to me ‘have fun in this’.”
The late Flo Jo, known for her iconic one-legged fits on the track, has been a cornerstone of Queen’s growth.
Now she wants to do the same for the up-and-coming stars, some of whom she shares the track with and some she helps nurture from a young age.
“I think it’s important to [be authentic] in life – track and field just happens to be my medium,” Queen explains.
“[It is] one of my God-given talents and a place for me to showcase my talent and also my personality and who I am.
“For so long it’s been ‘you need to decide, you should be focused on your event’, they negate to realise that I can wear lipstick, have flowing curls and still be 100 per cent focused on running fast – it’s so important for me to show that.”
Despite the backlash she faced initially, Queen continued to show up as herself.
For good reason, Harrison Claye has taken a hiatus from the racetrack for a while.
She is definitely encouraging her daughter to follow in her footsteps when she isn’t busy inspiring the next generation of athletes.
That may not necessarily be in hurdling, but it most certainly involves encouraging her to be herself.
“She is definitely her own person, despite being named after me,” Queen says.
“She’s very sweet and thoughtful – I’m interested to see who she’s going to continue to grow into. I know she’ll be amazing in whatever she does.”
Being a first-time mother has meant plenty of ‘active’ adjustment, physically and mentally.
“There are the physical hurdles that I had to overcome, just getting back into race shape which I’m still actively
It is that kind of persistence that makes the veteran a role model for the next generation of athletes.
“I’m privileged and honoured to see how my legacy continues through the current [generation] and how it will continue even when all of us are done.
“Hopefully I add a couple more stamps to that legacy!”
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