On June 10th this year, Fred Kerley faced an unexpected situation when he couldn’t participate in the 100m dash due to an issue with his spikes. Consequently, he was disqualified from the crucial event. Most athletes would have felt the pressure from such a setback. However, Fred Kerley remained unfazed. When asked about his confidence, he simply stated, “Being around 26 people in one house, you should know.” That sums up his childhood story in one line. The veteran has learned life lessons from his growing years in his house and he is utilizing those. 

Moreover, Fred Kerley openly embraces his complicated past, wearing it like a cloak of experience. As the three-time world champion prepares for the Paris Olympics, it’s worth celebrating his journey and reflecting on his story.

Fred Kerley embraces ‘Meme’ part of his life 

Since his childhood, Fred Kerley has had a minimal relationship with his parents. The reason is both of his parents’ absence from the scene – while his father, Ricky Kerley, spent a large chunk of time in the prison, Fred’s mother remained far away from the family when the sprinter was a toddler in San Antonio. In such a situation, his aunt, Virginia, aka Meme, appeared in Fred’s life being the soul saver. She adopted the two-year-old Fred and took him and other siblings to Taylor, Texas. Since then, Meme has become the guardian angel for him. 

Recalling his experiences living with aunt Meme and uncle, the former world champion remembers sharing a home with 25 others under the same roof. This was made possible due to Meme and her husband’s caring nature toward children. The couple’s deep love for children led them to continue adopting while providing shelter to Fred Kerley and his 12 siblings and cousins in their home. Accommodating such a large number of kids inevitably took a toll on their lifestyle, eventually catching up with them.

While feeding the growing kids, Aunt Meme failed to save her grab several times. The Olympian can’t forget this experience for all of its reasons. Subsequently, for aunt Meme, he has a straightforward statement: “An amazing woman, with the best personality you could ever have. Kind and caring, tough but fair.” Not with just flowery words, Fred did something extraordinary to pay his respect to the lady. He tattooed her name on his left arm. Meanwhile, in paving his path to sprint, the 29-year-old finds a touch of his loving aunt. 

The changeover in the game and the fame 

During much of his childhood, Fred Kerley spent his time with his siblings playing team games at the local church. Over time, he developed a preference for sports like basketball and football. However, these sports wouldn’t provide as many opportunities for education and international travel. Aunt Meme supported him in choosing a suitable career path for his future. Meanwhile, something unexpected occurred.

In his senior year of high school, Fred Kerley broke his collarbone, prompting him to reconsider his involvement in sports like sprinting. Initially focusing on the 200m sprint, he later shifted his attention to the 400m events after gaining more insights. Another shift occurred during the pandemic when crisis conditions prompted him to embrace the 100m events. The rest, as they say, is history. He won a silver medal in the 100m event at the Tokyo Olympics. Now, three years later, he finds himself on a similar path once again. Despite the world’s doubts about his abilities time and again, he continues to move forward. He once described the reason for his perseverance.

“It’s why, no matter where I am in the world, I stay in touch with Aunt Virginia every day. She’s the woman who changed my life, who made my life. She will always be my strength,” the proud ‘son’ elaborated. Surely, Fred Kerley will pay his due in the French capital.