Dalilah Muhammad is preparing for one final lap as she brings the curtain down on a career that has transformed the women’s 400m hurdles.
With the US Championships approaching, the Olympic gold medallist reflects on her greatest achievements. From breaking the world record twice to being named World Athlete of the Year in 2019, Muhammad considers her journey, her impact, and how she would like to be remembered as she steps away from the sport.
“I think we have this idea that we have to be doing bad to retire, and I don’t think that’s really the truth,” she says. “It’s more of a mental thing for me, I just mentally know that I want to do other things and track takes up a lot of your time. The effort that you put into it; I haven’t really been able to put that effort into anything else. That’s ultimately where my mindset is, at this moment in time. I want to do that. I know I can still run.
“This journey has really just taught me to believe in myself,” adds the five-time world medallist. “I’m never going to doubt myself in anything that I want to do. That has been one of the biggest lessons this journey has taught me, just knowing how to dedicate your time and dedicate your energy into doing what you want to achieve, how to achieve those goals and how to make big goals small. And when I saw small, I mean just breaking them up into small little segments and achieving one thing at a time.
View the full interview on World Athletics Watch
“I want people to remember me for just being relentless. I’ve definitely not been that athlete that’s winning every single race, but I’ve definitely been that athlete that shows up when it counts and shows up when it matters. I’m just always going to be that one that you can’t count out when we’re on the line.
“My advice to the next generation is just to dream crazy – have really big dreams and go for them. You never know what’s possible.”
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