A few months after the Olympic Games in Paris, and a few days into the start of the new track and field training season, a graceful and grateful Sha’Carri Richardson tries on outfits for her first-ever ESSENCE cover shoot.
Although on a photo set and far removed from any track and field arena, her frame appears braced to race. The glam team mills around her—checking the sizing of her dresses, working through options for accessories and reassuring her of how great she looks. They aren’t gassing her up, either. She looks amazing!
With each person who enters the room eager to greet her, Richardson returns their sentiments with a gentle smile. Then, tuning out the busyness around her, she immerses herself in the moment— with a level of concentration only an athlete of her caliber can possess. She exudes an air of deep focus. She’s clearly enjoying the experience, but she’s also clearly locked in.
“I feel like in my spirituality, I’m aligning myself with keeping my faith,” she explains. “When it comes to my family, I’ve grown closer to them. I love the fact that in areas of my feminine side, I’m thriving. Connecting with my family, with my relationship, just different things that—I know if I wasn’t an athlete, these things would still make me me. I felt like I had to protect my emotions, because I had to protect everything else around me first. And so I definitely feel like now, emotional stability is not a defense. Emotional stability is understanding myself—and expressing myself in a way that it can be received.”
Leaning Forward
Holding tight to her “divine feminine” aura—and surrendering to her “soft girl” era—Richardson is most relaxed in the comforts of her home. Whether she spends her time there cooking, dancing, getting a signature nail set, reading a history book or just surrounding herself with bright colors, the self-proclaimed history buff–slash-chef is adamant about absorbing as much positive energy as possible.
“I just feel like everything in my life is brighter now,” she says. “I don’t have any darkness weighing me down, even within myself. I’m just at a different point in my life, where I’m not in survival mode—I’m in a loving energy. I love taking care of my family. I love taking care of my training partners. I just love the fact that I’ve been blessed to be in a position to show that divine energy.”