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Masai Russell who won gold in women's 100m hurdles at the Olympics has shared her journey of balancing her track and field career while also running other activities off the track.
Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist in the 100m hurdles Masai Russell has recently opened up about the challenges she faces balancing her athletic career with entrepreneurship.
Despite her poised public persona, the Olympian revealed that maintaining her own business while competing professionally is no small feat.
"It's not easy, of course, as anybody could probably guess," Russell admitted on the Sports Xposure Podcast.
"I mean, they probably think it's easy just the way that I make it look, or a lot of entrepreneurs make it look. We just make it look like it's easy, but really, it's a lot. It’s a job that is every day, and you don't know what you're going to get in that day."
Russell explained that entrepreneurship, much like her career as a professional athlete, demands an unwavering mindset.
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"It could be a great day or it could be a bad day, but it's just about that mindset," she said, contrasting her experience in the professional world with her time in college athletics.
She noted the stark differences between competing at the NCAA level and the individualistic nature of professional sports.
"It’s so much different, but it’s so alike," she said, reflecting on the shift from collegiate competition to representing herself and her brand.
"As a professional, it's all on you. It's how much you want to put into it. It's your brand."
For Olympian, this shift also brings new pressures being Nike contractor, she’s acutely aware that her performance and image directly impact her sponsorship.
"With Nike, I’m a contractor. I'm technically not on staff. You've got to show for yourself," she added.
Her brand symbolizes the identity and business she has built outside the collegiate realm as she emphasizes the independence required to thrive in the professional sports world, where she no longer has the long-term security of a college contract and must continuously prove herself.
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The women-only track and field meet offers the biggest prize money.
Despite the weight of these demands, Russell is committed to her dual identity as both an athlete and entrepreneur.
"I would say I'm more than an athlete, and it's a lot sometimes. But, like I said earlier, whatever lane God has for you, that’s for you, and I feel like this lane is for me, and I'm just thriving."
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