Having been adopted by his aunt as a toddler, Kerley slept on pallets in a single room with 12 other relatives while growing up. Now the world 100m champion’s determination to never go back to the “same predicament” fuels his desire to become a track & field legend.
Tattoos have become an integral part of how modern-day athletes express themselves, and for many Olympians, their favourite tattoo comes in the form of the five Olympic rings. It is a symbol of the rare sporting achievement of competing at the Games – something only around 10,000 summer athletes achieve every four years.
However, for the USA’s world 100m champion Fred Kerley, there is one piece of ink that means more to him than any other on his body: a tattoo under his left bicep with the name of his aunt, “Meme”.
While the Olympic rings bring back memories of achievement, Kerley’s tattoo of his aunt’s name is an expression of love. But more than that, it’s a daily reminder of where he has come from.
“To me, the tattoos are messages to myself every day to just keep on going and don’t take anything for granted. It’s like a stamp, a passport, about a place I’ve been or a thing I’ve experienced, a way to remind me of where I’m going, in track and in life,” he said
Aunt Meme’s role in forging a world champion
Kerley’s relationship with his Aunt Meme, whose real name is Virginia, was the first stamp on a lifelong passport that has taken him to the very pinnacle of track & field.
As a toddler in San Antonio, Texas, Kerley was adopted by his aunt after his father was sent to prison and his mother was in his own words “absent” from his life.
“Me and my brother and sisters got adopted by my aunt Virginia,” he said after his victory in the 100m final at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon. “We had one bedroom. There were 13 of us in one bedroom. We were on the pallet.”
However, even with the challenges of a hard childhood, Kerley does not look back on those days with sadness or regret. It was in many ways the first step towards greatness and the lessons he learned from that experience continue to push him towards the goals he sets for himself today.
“At the end of the day, we all had fun, we enjoyed ourselves and are doing great things right now,” he said, before adding: “What motivates me is coming from what I come from and not being in the same predicament. Keep on accomplishing great things. You don’t want to be in the same position as you were when you were younger.”
From talented 400m runner to 100m world-beater
Perhaps it is this determination to achieve greatness that has been at the heart of Kerley’s ability to adapt to new challenges.
Originally a high school 200m runner, the athlete transitioned to the 400m where he found success winning the bronze medal at the Worlds in Doha in 2019.
But with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerley’s local track was closed and he rethought his goals for his career as an athlete.
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