Sports Illustrated and Empower Onyx are putting the spotlight on the diverse journeys of Black women across sports—from the veteran athletes, to up-and-coming stars, coaches, executives and more—in the series, Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports.
Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket” for her five-foot frame and explosive starts, is used to making history. She was the first Caribbean, and first Jamaican woman to win the gold for 100 meters, at her very first Olympic Games in 2008. She is the most decorated 100-meter runner in Olympic history and the third-fastest woman in the world.