Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: How Jamaican Culture Inspires Gold Medal Wins

She has competed in five Olympic Games, won three gold medals along with four silvers and a bronze, and holds her place as the third-fastest woman of all time.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, known globally for her electric 100-meter sprints, has become an icon both on and off the track.

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Clocking in a jaw-dropping personal best of just 10.6 seconds, Fraser-Pryce does not just run the race but she owns it.

But her impact extends beyond speed. Fans know her as the Jamaican "Pocket Rocket," a blur of strength, style, and vibrant hair color as she explodes out of the starting blocks.

From vivid purples to striking greens and fierce pinks, Fraser-Pryce turns every race into a runway—and it is not just for show.

“I’m knowing where I’m going. I’m knowing the color of the flags. I know what color I did the year before and that I don’t want to do anymore,” she said in a recent episode of the Marie Claire podcast Nice Talk, hosted by editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike.

“It gives you this excitement.”

Fraser-Pryce’s colorful hairstyles are more than a fashion statement—they’re a mental tool.

She plans her look far ahead of race day, down to the last strand, sometimes even shipping in hair or doing it herself. It’s all part of her strategy to stay mentally balanced in the high-pressure world of elite athletics.

“It forces you to kind of take your mind off the competition,” the 38-year-old sprinter explained.

“Because it can help you to really just settle the nerves and not make the competition the sole focus.”

While some athletes need to lock in completely, Fraser-Pryce prefers to keep things light and centered. For her, it is  about managing the moment rather than being overwhelmed by it.

“Then everything becomes the competition. And then you find that if you constantly do that, then it makes the moment too big—that you feel like you can’t fit in the moment,” she said.

“I want to make sure that I’m enjoying the moment.”

Her signature looks also celebrate her roots. Raised in the Waterhouse area of Kingston, Jamaica, Fraser-Pryce embraces the bold street style that shaped her identity—big earrings, gold teeth, colorful wigs—all symbols of pride in her community.

“I’m from an inner city, right? So they’re known for styles—like big earrings, gold teeth, different wigs and colors. That’s how they represent,” she said.

“It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m here.’ You know, showing up. It’s representing that boldness and just standing out.”

Early in her career, she feared being judged for this expression. “People assumed that if you had a gold filling on your tooth, or you had colored hair, or those big hoop earrings with your name in them, they kind of think you’re ghetto.”

But Fraser-Pryce now proudly embraces those styles as symbols of empowerment. She channels this ethos into her haircare line, AFIMI, a name that means “it’s mine” in Jamaican patois.

“It’s really making sure that you take ownership of just who you are and how you want to show up—and how that helps you to be you and to be your best.”