Sprinting as a sports career was bleak for athlete Alaysha ‘Lay’ Johnson, who ran without a sponsor in her post-college career. However, winning a title recently at the U.S. indoor track and field championships brought in a ray of hope for the 26-year-old. Amidst races and hurdles, Johnson, unfortunately, witnessed a heartbreaking situation.
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In a recent tweet, the athlete ranted about a certain decision made by the US Track and Field officials. Johnson felt left out and ostracized despite dedicating herself to the sport. Let’s take a look at what transpired, and what caused the sprinter to rage.
Alaysha Johnson didn’t make it to the pro roster
Recently, the Texas Track and Field and Cross-Country officials released their list of pro athletes for the Texas Relays to be held on 30th March. This list includes some big names such as Abby Steiner, Gabby Thomas, Sha’Carri Richardson, and so on. Sprinter Katelyn Hutchison took to Twitter to share the roster and her excitement for the same. However, Johnson immediately noticed something odd and commented, “This is confusing”.
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Johnson recently proved her prowess in the sport when she won the women’s 60-meter hurdles at the U.S. indoor track and field championships. This earned her a national title. But things took a turn when she realized that the Texas Relay roster, which boasted of pros in their list, did not have her name.
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Taking her frustration to Twitter, Johnson expressed her disappointment in not qualifying as a pro for the race. Her outrage was directed at the fact that she didn’t make it to the roster despite winning the national title. She raged, “I dedicated my entire life to a sport to be ostracized from it for what? I do not understand…”
I dedicated my entire life to a sport to be ostracized from it for what? I do not understand because what I’ve done has brought nothing but positivity to the sport as a whole and given life to those who have dreams.
— Alaysha ‘Lay’ Johnson (@ImJustLaylay) March 29, 2023
The track and field domain often witnesses many ups and downs like this. While Johnson figures out how to navigate through this, sprinting GOAT Usain Bolt once parted knowledge regarding similar matters. Racing to the finish line is just one facet of a whole world in the Track and Field community. Bolt mentioned how “Competition is not the reality”. Behind the scenes, an athlete would have to work hard, practice, and fight their way up. Troubles such as the one Alaysha Johnson faced were a part of the bigger picture. And Bolt’s advice was to not give up, despite shortcomings.
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