At just 23 years old, this American sprinter has taken the entire track and field realm by storm. Specializing in the hurdles, Grace Stark got to fulfill every athlete’s dream. She not only qualified for the Olympics but also finished fifth amidst a stacked pool consisting of the best of the best. Now, looking to continue her dream run, the 23-year-old kicked off her season with the Xiamen Diamond League. Unfortunately, while she faltered just by a whisker, the gritty track star soon turned it around in Keqiao. 

Back at the Xiamen Diamond League, Stark went in with the sole purpose of winning the race. However, just like always, there was a Jamaican standing in the line of an American track and field dream. As the race began, Stark got piped by the Jamaican, Danielle Williams. Dropping a timing of 12.53s, which was also her season’s best, Williams took the win. On the contrary, Stark’s 12.58s was, by no means, a bad time. But it just wasn’t good enough. 

However, Grace Stark is not the one to give things up that easily. She took a lesson from her loss and decided to bounce back ever so stronger. Coming to the Keqiao Diamond League, Stark met a familiar foe. She once again went up against the likes of Danielle Williams. And this time, she was prepared. Quite expectedly, it was Williams who was touted as the favorite. But as the gun was fired, it was Stark all the way. Stark dropped a blitzkrieg timing of 12.42s to clinch the victory. 

And that was not all! Her timing was the new meet record and also a new world lead. In the face of the Grace Stark storm, Jamaican Danielle Williams lagged significantly behind. Clocking a modest timing of 12.55s, Williams finished second, followed by Marione Fourie (12.62s) in third place. Surely, this was one of the biggest examples of the iron-clad mentality of Stark. But this wasn’t the only time she showed it in full glory. 

Grace Stark defies the odds to chase Olympic gold after devastating injury

She was told it looked like she’d been in a car crash. One plate, seven screws, a shredded knee, and months of not walking. Grace Stark could have been another name on the long list of athletic careers ended by brutal injury. But this hurdler from White Lake, Michigan, didn’t stop at heartbreak. She rewrote the odds—and her own story—through pure will and unshakable belief.

On May 14, 2022, during the SEC championship, Stark’s Olympic dream came crashing down with a single clipped hurdle. Her femur drove into her tibia, splitting the bone and tearing through her meniscus. Doctors questioned whether she’d walk normally again, let alone race. “Career ending for 97 percent,” her mother, Rene Stark, said. “The Lord had a plan for Grace and this was part of His plan.” Stark wasn’t ready to surrender. Through grueling rehab and countless low moments, she clung to one goal: return.

And she did more than return. In June 2024, Grace won the NCAA 100-meter hurdles and clocked a lifetime best of 12.31 seconds to qualify for the Olympics. “I mean, (the Olympics) is just something that I had wanted for myself for so long,” she said. Now, in Paris, she’s one of eight left chasing glory—living out a dream once declared dead.