My Beginning...
I was born in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, where some of my earliest memories are rooted in community, resilience and learning how to dream beyond my surroundings. My childhood was riddled with civil wars that the instability and lack of peace became a norm for me at such a young age. At 12 years old, my life changed when my family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, United States. Like many immigrant stories, it came with uncertainty, excitement and just when I was adjusting to my new normal, my father passed away unexpectantly - leaving my mother to raise three girls on her own.
I didn’t grow up imagining I would one day become an Olympian.
In fact, track and field entered my life later than most. I started running in high school and what began as curiosity slowly became purpose. The track became more than a sport - it became a place where I held my first leadership position as team captain, discovered discipline, confidence and a belief in what was possible for my life.
That journey eventually earned me a scholarship to St. John's University, where I competed as a Division I athlete and broke the school record and the Liberian national record in the women’s 100-meter dash. Beyond the accomplishments, those years in New York shaped me into someone willing to chase growth, even when the path felt uncertain.
After college, I made one of the boldest decisions of my life: I bought a one-way ticket to Texas with one goal - to pursue the Olympic dream fully.
My Olympic Journey...
For three years, I trained relentlessly. There were sacrifices, setbacks, moments of doubt, and countless unseen hours of work. But there was also belief. The kind of belief that asks you to keep going before the results arrive. As an unsponsored athlete, it took working odd hours of the day in order to have adequate time for training.
And then it finally happened. I ran the qualifying standard in the 100m dash to earn my Olympic berth.
Representing Liberia at the London 2012 Olympic Games became one of the greatest honors of my life. Walking into the stadium as the Flagbearer, carrying not only my own dreams, but the pride of an entire nation, is something words can never fully capture. Becoming an Olympian taught me resilience, discipline, humility and how to keep showing up even when the outcome is uncertain.
But one of the most important lessons came afterward.
My Career Transition...
My career ended in a way I did not envision and like many athletes, I eventually had to shift into a new chapter - Life beyond sport. Luckily for me, as an unsponsored athlete that had to work a full-time job, I had four years of corporate experience at a Big Four firm - Ernst & Young, LLP (EY).
Moving from the structure and identity of athletics into the corporate world was both rewarding and challenging in ways I never expected.
I had to rediscover who I was outside of sports and be comfortable with my new identity.
During my eight years at EY, I developed and strengthened my leadership capabilities across multiple teams and areas of practice. Throughout that journey, I carried many of the same qualities that shaped me as an athlete into the corporate world - resilience, discipline, teamwork, adaptability, leadership and effective time management. Those experiences taught me how to navigate high-pressure environments, lead through change and consistently perform with purpose both on and off the track.
Service to Olympians...
One of the most meaningful parts of my journey has been finding ways to continue serving the Olympic community beyond competition.
From 2021 to 2025, I served as President of the Liberia Olympians Association, where I worked to support Olympians not only in sport, but in life beyond sport. Through that experience, I became deeply passionate about athlete transition, career development and creating opportunities for Olympians to thrive after competition.
That passion eventually led me to combine both worlds I care deeply about — athletics and technology.
Through the IBM Athlete Network and in collaboration with the World Olympians Association (WOA), I helped introduce IBM SkillsBuild to the global Olympian community as a free educational and professional development platform. The mission was simple but powerful: help Olympians upskill as they transition into the next phase of their personal and professional lives.
What began as an idea eventually grew into a global initiative.
Over the years, I had the opportunity to pitch and present the vision internationally, conduct workshops for Olympian leaders and delegates, and help launch IBM SkillsBuild resources across the WOA network. I presented at the World Olympians Forum in Istanbul, collaborated on conversations around emerging technology and AI within the athlete experience, and helped build learning opportunities that extended far beyond sport.
In 2024, the work was showcased during the Olympic Games in Paris through OLY House, highlighting the impact IBM SkillsBuild was making within the Olympian community.
The work continues to evolve today through initiatives focused on “Service to Society” - empowering Olympians to use their leadership and influence to create educational opportunities within their own communities around the world.
This chapter of my life has reminded me that leadership is not only about personal achievement. It’s about creating pathways for others, building meaningful relationships, and using your experiences to open doors that did not previously exist.
And for me, that may ultimately become one of the most important legacies of all.
My Life Today...
Today, I work in transformation consulting, helping organizations navigate change, strategy, and growth. I’m also building spaces that allow for deeper conversations around identity, reinvention, ambition, and what it means to evolve through different seasons of life.
I wear many hats now - Olympian, consultant, entrepreneur, podcast host, wife and mother - but at the core of it all, I’m still that young girl from Liberia who believed life could become something greater through discipline, faith and consistency.
This space is where I share that journey honestly.
Not just the milestones, but the becoming behind them.
