Junelle Bromfield did not grow up in the best circumstances and is unafraid to open up about it.
Her interview with Simone Clarke-Cooper has been doing rounds on the internet for her brutal honesty and some concerning stories surrounding her experiences. From death threats to foul-mouthed trolls on the internet, Bromfield has seen and tolerated it all.
But it never began this way since the Jamaican didn’t even know it was possible to make a career in track and field. Recalling some of her momentous anecdotes from her childhood, she spoke to the host about how she ultimately found out about her family’s poverty and what inspired her to dream big.
“When I grew up, I didn’t see a profession bigger than a teacher…so growing up, I would say my mom did a pretty amazing job on not letting us know that we were poor.”
Hailing from George’s Valley, a small community in Jamaica, Bromfield grew up not knowing her unfortunate circumstances. Her mother, Sandra Farquharson, did her best to mask the tragedy by providing for the kids as much as she could. To do so, she took some help from the humble oatmeal.
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“On nights when she did not have any money, she used to make us oatmeal. And it tasted so good, because she used to put in nutmeg…but we used to have to wait for like, thirty minutes to get that oatmeal.”
It turns out that Bromfield’s mother would soak the oats in the fridge to prepare them and add water. The sprinter grew up thinking that was the standard way to prepare oats until she turned eight, traveled outside her community, and ate thicker oatmeal.
A simple anecdote about how food was prepared became a turning point in Bromfield’s life since she realized her financial standing in society. She grew up watching races and meets, inspired by sprinters from Jamaica who made their way into the Olympics and found glory and fame.
Now, she is unabashedly herself, doesn’t fear criticism, and has built her own way of keeping her peace. The heartfelt conversation with Clarke-Cooper unraveled several upsetting instances, including a recent backlash from her own countrymen after the Olympics. Yet, Bromfield stands tall, proud, and knows to bounce back from her falls.
