Rai Benjamin, the lightning-fast hurdler with a collection of Olympic medals, just dropped a truth bomb on Instagram that’s got everyone talking. Forget the glossy highlight reels; Benjamin’s latest post is raw, real, and hits you hard.
The 2024 Paris Olympics Gold medalist shared a carousel of images chronicling his journey through the Olympic trials and the Games, captioned with a simple yet profound question: “At what cost?”
His post peeled back the curtain on the often-unseen sacrifices made in pursuit of athletic excellence.
“As I sit here reflecting upon this year, the question of “at what cost?” plays on an endless loop in my head. It’s easy to rejoice in what this year was/ is, and I wanted it to go my way desperately and it did but it cost me.”
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Sure, 2024 was Benjamin’s year. He snagged gold in the 4x400m relay and the 400m hurdles in Paris, adding to his already impressive Olympic haul from Tokyo. But behind those shiny medals? A whole lot of sacrifice.
“It cost me relationships, time with family, my mental health. And it’s still costing me. I made mistakes, I burned bridges, I made selfish decisions just to get to this point and it cost me, and still is to this very day.“
It’s not often that you hear an athlete at the top of their game being this brutally honest. Benjamin‘s words hit home for anyone who’s ever chased a big dream, knowing they might have to leave some things behind.
Despite the internal struggle, Benjamin’s pride in his accomplishments shines through. “I’m proud of who I am, I want to be better, I want to continue being happy and fast which will happen. Cream always rises to the top and I rose,” he wrote.
This isn’t just about Benjamin’s track record (which, by the way, is insane—we’re talking five World Championship medals, including relay golds in 2019 and 2023). It’s about the struggle to find balance when striving for greatness.
“To everyone who has been in my corner thank you. I hope I can continue to make you proud in addition to myself.“
Benjamin’s parting words—”And maybe one day it wouldn’t cost a thing“—carry a wistful hope that resonates far beyond the world of elite athletics, touching anyone who’s ever wondered if their success came at too high a price. As Benjamin gears up for his 2025 season, his honesty reminds us that even sports icons like himself are humans.
