Jamaican sprint queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce received a heartfelt tribute on Monday night as Brett Holts, Nike’s Vice President of Global Running Sports Marketing, honoured the iconic athlete ahead of her planned retirement at the close of the 2025 season.
Speaking at a cocktail reception hosted by Nike at the AC Hotel’s pool deck in Kingston, Holts delivered an emotional address, reflecting on the 17-year partnership between Fraser-Pryce and the global sportswear giant.
The event drew some of Jamaica’s most prominent figures, including Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Minister of Sport Olivia Grange, and Opposition Leader Mark Golding, in a moving celebration of one of track and field’s greatest champions.
“While your speed will undoubtedly leave a legacy on the sport, I truly believe that it is your strength that will genuinely shape the future generation of the sport,” Holts told Sportsmax.
The evening was also an opportunity for Fraser-Pryce to unveil a new initiative in collaboration with Nike aimed at eliminating barefoot sprinting at the primary school level in Jamaica. Inspired by her own early experiences at George Headley Primary, the programme will provide proper footwear to young athletes across the island, ensuring they start their journeys with the resources they need to succeed.
Holts acknowledged the highs and lows they navigated together.
“You are one of the longest Nike partnerships that we have,” he said.
“And I do recognise that the partnership has not always been an effortless start. Out of the blocks, we’ve encompassed significant triumphs together and considerable challenges… This journey has demanded extraordinary strength to reach our current position.”
He emphasized that Fraser-Pryce’s resilience not only defined her sprinting career but also elevated the Nike brand.
“I extend my sincere personal gratitude to you for exemplifying such remarkable strength, because that has also made Nike stronger,” Holts added.
In a nod to the sprinter’s unyielding ambition, Holts shared details of a recent meeting with Fraser-Pryce in Portland, where she boldly declared her intent to finish on a high note at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
“You better be damn sure I’m showing up to win the World Championships in Tokyo,” she told him.
That appearance would bring her career full circle, back to Japan where she claimed her first global medal in 2007 as part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team in Osaka.
Holts didn’t miss the chance to reflect on Fraser-Pryce’s astonishing accomplishments: three Olympic gold medals, 10 individual World Championship titles, and the status of the most decorated female athlete in track and field history.
“But beyond the medals and records,” Holts noted.
“It’s your courage, resilience, and grace that will ultimately define your impact. In that same conversation, you reminded us that above all, it’s winning that matters most. And you have always been a true winner.”
Nike stands firmly with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as she closes one remarkable chapter and boldly begins another, fueled by leadership.