100m world champion, 200m world champion, 4x100m relay gold medalist, sums up Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s stellar season. Her almost untouchable run that makes her only the second woman, after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, to capture three golds at a single World Championships. She is in blazing form professionally, but there’s an even more powerful story beneath the medals, one most fans don’t know. Jefferson-Wooden once saved her father’s life from a rare disease, and because of that, she calls him her ‘twin’. Here’s the story behind it.

Jefferson-Wooden’s biggest achievement beyond the medals is saving her father, Melvin Jefferson, from a disease that nearly took his life. When she was just 17, her father was diagnosed with a condition called myelodysplastic syndrome, in which the bone marrow doesn’t produce enough white blood cells to support the immune system, almost considered as an early form of leukemia. The plausible treatment demanded a stem cell transplant, for which Melissa Jefferson-Wooden stepped up to the occasion without a second thought.

During her conversation with Serena and Venus Williams, the sprint star was asked to elaborate on that life-changing moment. Responding to the question, the 100m and 200m world champion revealed, “So it happened when I was 17 years old. I was a senior in high school, just starting my senior year. And like you said, his disease was very serious. It basically could develop into leukemia. The best way to go about it was to do a bone marrow transplant. They had gone through potential matches before, but came up short once they did further testing. I was the best and preferred match.”

The Georgetown sensation further clarified that she was never forced into the procedure. Instead, her father simply asked her if she wanted to do it—her response was immediate: “I’m like, of course I’m going to do it. You’re my dad. I want you around for a long time.” Jefferson revealed that she had two IVs hooked up in both arms, and once the doctors collected the required amount each day, since it was a two-day process, they carried her stem cells across to the other tower of the hospital, where her father was being treated.

Her father recovered quickly after the procedure, and the experience left a mark on her in the best possible way. Ever since then, she’s had a playful nickname for him, saying, “So I like to call him my twin now because we have the same stem cells. But yeah, it’s been great.” Her father once worked as a maintenance hand at Brookgreen Gardens while juggling residential lawn-care jobs on the side. But ever since Jefferson’s rise to stardom, Melvin has stepped into a new role, supporting his daughter’s journey every step of the way.

Her parents, Johanna and Melvin Jefferson, were in Tokyo when she wrote her name into history books, sitting beside World Athletics President Seb Coe. The Jeffersons have always backed their daughter’s relentless rise, but the spark that pushed her to become even greater?

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden reveals how a defeat helped her become what she is

Speaking to the Williams sisters, the athlete fielded a series of questions, including what fueled her rise into one of the season’s biggest stars, culminating in three gold medals at the Worlds. In her response, she revealed that she often reflects on her performance at the Miami Slam, where she finished third behind Gabby Thomas and Tamari Davis in first and second place, respectively. That defeat, she said, was the moment it clicked for her that she had to win, no matter what.

“So I got out there in the 200, the gun went off, and I got out. I’m off the curve. I’m in first. And then the next thing you know, I get passed by Gabby. And then my body had just completely shut down,” said Jefferson. For an athlete of her caliber, finishing third was not just unacceptable, but far from satisfying. So when Serena Williams pressed her on what changed afterward, Jefferson explained that she completely restructured her training.

This time, every session revolved around perfecting execution, a shift in focus that ultimately propelled her to a stunning triple-gold season. Well, she is planning on acing the next season as well at the ultimate championships, but will she be able to match her consistency? Time will tell. What do you reckon? Drop us a comment.