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Saint Lucia's speed queen Julien Alfred and her coach Edrick Floreal have a genuine relationship beyond track activities, one which he helped her overcome a period of mental breakdown before her 2024 season exploits.
Olympic champion Julien Alfred and her coach Edrick Floreal share a unique relationship beyond track activities, which can be classified as a father-daughter connection.
In an interview with Clare McDonnell on BBC Women's Hour, Alfred revealed how her coach helped her overcome a mental breakdown that almost derailed her 2024 season.
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"Earlier in the season, I had a breakdown, I was completely out of it I told my coach I didn't want to continue the season, I told my agents to cancel my meets because I didn't want to continue by season, I was just so hard on myself," said the Saint Lucian speed queen.
"I was overweight as well, struggling mentally and just feeling like I couldn't go on," she continued.
"But my coach, he worked with me, he took me off the track for a little bit, we had a long conversation, we both cried on the phone and the last thing he said to me was: 'Are you ready to be an Olympic champion?'"
Following their emotional conversation, Alfred put herself together and resumed training, which built the pathway for her iconic season exploits.
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13:37 - 05.11.2024
Top 10 most famous athletics stars post-Paris Olympics: Sha'Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, and Julien Alfred make elite list
Based on performances, influence, social media numbers, and popularity, Pulse Sports has carefully reviewed the Top 10 most famous track and field stars post-Paris Olympics.
The 24-year-old first became Saint Lucia's first world champion in any track event after blazing to the 60m title at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
Not resting on her oars, she recorded her name in the history books again at the Paris Olympic Games, where she stunned pre-race favourite Sha'Carri Richardson to the 100m gold medal, thus becoming Saint Lucia's first Olympic gold medallist in history. She also added the 200m silver medal and capped off her brilliant year by blazing to the Diamond League title in Brussels.
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When asked what she wrote in her journal on the morning of the Olympic final, the talented speedster said:
"Julien Alfred, Olympic champion. Just manifesting knowing how hard I've worked for this moment. Also, I wrote that the world will know my name, I am unstoppable, it's my race, my coach has prepared me for it, have fun.
"There were so many things that I wrote down but realizing that I had a great chance of winning and also believing in myself before going to the finals that I was already the Olympic champion."
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Alfred's journey to Olympic glory was a story of resilience, leaving her country at the young age of 14 to school and train in Jamaica for three years.
She and Coach Floreal connected when she gained a student-athlete scholarship at the University of Texas, Austin where she studied for five years. Both will later achieve great exploits together as she dominated the college scene winning all NCAA titles in the 60m, 100m, and 200m, before fully transitioning to the professional level this year.
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So when she crossed the Olympic final line first, it was a sign of relief that all her hard work through the years was eventually worth it.
"When you finally cross the line, the thing you've worked so hard for in your life when it finally comes through and you've crossed the line first, it's such an amazing feeling. All I could scream was yes, yes, yes. I was screaming at the top of my lungs but honestly, it's such an amazing feeling just knowing that all your hard work and sacrifices finally paid off," she concluded.
15:52 - 06.11.2024
Julien Alfred: Saint Lucia's Olympic golden girl gracefully begins tourism ambassadorial duties with visit to London
As Tourism Ambassador for Saint Lucia, Julien Alfred began her first official duties with visit to London.
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