Masai Russell packed a punch this season with her surprising emergence and consequent win at the Olympics. What set her apart was her unabashed self and belief in herself, which led her to dominate the track. However, it wasn’t easy for her to find the drive to succeed, especially when there were no monetary benefits from it.
In a candid chat with Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green (on the Ready Set Go podcast), Russell spoke about how the season had been particularly difficult to navigate through without a sponsor. Ending up with no backing to support her through the season, Russell opened up on how she battled those hurdles to finally beat the odds.
Russell didn’t have an easy time winning, but her dedication was a major factor in making sure she succeeded. She revealed that while she struggled to cope with the fact that she had no sponsors, there came an afterthought about the true purpose of her pursuing the sport.
“It was a little harder to go to practice. It was a little harder to show up. And I was just like, ‘no one cares if I’m showing up, so why should I care?’…”
However, what changed her mind were words from her partner, who believed in her talent and ability to make it through the rough patch. Robbie Springfield posed some crucial questions that quickly put things into perspective for the Olympian.
“Your path is your path, as long as your destination is success.” @masai_russell learned so much about her sport as an athlete but most important, she learned more about herself through her growth. New episode out now RSG ® link is in the bio #trackandfield pic.twitter.com/ZcOajkZvRC
— Justin Gatlin (@justingatlin) October 10, 2024
He asked her if her true fuel to compete at track events was the paycheck or the goal that she had to be the fastest. Eventually, Russell realized that contract, or no contract, she would choose to run the fastest under any circumstances.
“That was like the shaking up that I needed…this is what I wanna do. This is what I wanna be the best in.”
With that, Russell began training harder despite the lack of sponsors, and eventually, in April, Nike came into the picture. The sports brand offered a contract, and the track star was more than happy to oblige.
Currently, she might be balancing a bunch of sponsors and endorsements, but Russell stays humble about it. She remembers her roots and keeps herself grounded, recalling the harsh realities.
