Olympic sprint sensation Julien Alfred says the driving force behind her historic triumph was simple but powerful; she just wanted to win. Speaking to the BBC recently, Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medalist, who captured gold in the 100m and silver in the 200m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, reflected on the weight, joy, and national pride that came with rewriting her island’s history.
Alfred, whose 100m victory delivered Saint Lucia’s first Olympic gold, said her motivation came from deep personal struggles and a desire to uplift her family and country. “I think just wanting to win. And I saw it as a way to make my life better,” she said. “I grew up, had financial struggles as well. And I said that’s a way for me to improve my way of living as well as my family’s. I also wanted to be Saint Lucia’s first Gold Medallist, which came to fruition, thankfully.”
She described Paris 2024 as nothing short of transformative. “As you mentioned Paris 2024, I smiled because it was just such a life-changing experience for me. Winning Saint Lucia’s first medal, gold at that…becoming tourism ambassador…representing my country not on the track anymore, but also outside the track. It just shows how my hard work has paid off.”
Even months later, Alfred says she is still processing the magnitude of her achievement, and the emotional weight that followed.
“If I get a chance to go to Saint Lucia, I’ll be like, oh, they’re still celebrating… still proud. Because I’m still trying to understand the impact it has caused on an entire nation. But not until I actually became an Olympic champion, I realized the pressure that came with it. Heavy is the head who wears the crown.”
Now 2025 brings a new chapter, one defined by clarity and renewed purpose.
“However, I think that now I have to just take a step back…detach from the sport a little bit and realize who I am, realize what I’ve done. I have the next four years, come turning 28, that I get another crown to wear. So that is something that I just really own.”
Alfred’s reflections speaks not only her record-breaking Olympic success but her unwavering commitment to inspire, uplift, and represent Saint Lucia, both on the track and far beyond it.
Upon her national welcome-home celebration, Alfred was awarded one million Eastern Caribbean dollars from the government and people of Saint Lucia, a parcel of land, and a statue to be erected at the Millennium Highway/Cul-de-Sac Junction. The Millennium Highway will also be renamed in her honour upon completion. In addition, she was appointed Saint Lucia’s Tourism Ambassador by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.
