Arsenal Star Hails Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as His Most Inspirational Female Athlete on IWD

Arsenal star Noni Madueke has praised Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as his favourite and most inspirational female sportsperson of all time.

While marking International Women’s Day, a select number of Arsenal players were invited to name the female athletes who have inspired them the most throughout their careers.

Without hesitation, the former Chelsea F.C. forward singled out the 10-time world champion, highlighting the immense impact she has had on the world of sport.

During the segment, the person behind the camera posed the question to the players: “Who is your favourite or most inspirational female sportsperson of all time?”

The question sparked a variety of responses, with each player reflecting on the women in sport who have left a lasting impression on them.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was the first to respond, quickly pointing to tennis legend Serena Williams as his choice. “I think without a doubt for me, it’s Serena Williams.

“I watched a documentary on her recently, and it really inspired me, and the way she carried herself about sport is really good to see, and just the dominance that she had in her sport as well is something that I want to correlate,” he added.

Fellow Bukayo Saka also echoed Myles Lewis-Skelly’s sentiments, highlighting Serena Williams as a true icon whose achievements and longevity have inspired athletes across different sports.

Meanwhile, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli pointed to Brazilian football great Marta Vieira da Silva as the most inspirational female athlete. “I think it's a few. For me, it might be Marta or Charlotte Kalla,” Viktor Gyokeres said.

On his part, Noni Madueke appeared confident in his response as he simply said: “Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.”

Meanwhile, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce officially retired from professional athletics following the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, marking the end of a dominant eighteen-year career.

Widely regarded as the greatest female sprinter in history, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce secured an unprecedented five world titles in the 100m and three Olympic gold medals.

Her breakthrough victory at the 2008 Beijing Games saw her become the first Caribbean woman to win Olympic 100m gold, a title she successfully defended four years later in London.

Beyond her raw speed, her legacy is defined by a remarkable comeback in 2019, where she became the first mother in over two decades to claim a global sprint title. Off the track, she has prioritised education and youth development through her Pocket Rocket Foundation, which provides essential scholarships to student-athletes in Jamaica.

Her career personal best of 10.60 seconds remains the third-fastest time ever recorded, cementing her status as a permanent icon of the sport.