After dominating the 200m at the Pan American Games earlier this year where she won gold, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was recently named Female Athlete of the Year by the Pan Am Games committee at their inaugural Pan Am Sports Awards.

It was the last accolade received by “Mommy Rocket” for 2019 and it is one that she hasn’t taken for granted.

Speaking in her home community of Waterhouse on Sunday after the seventh staging of her football competition, the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Six-A-Side Football Competition which is a peace initiative, the IAAF 100m World champion for 2019 said she was delighted to be recognised for her efforts by Pan Am.

“Being able to come away with the Pan American Female Athlete of the Year, it’s just wonderful. I have won so many awards and the feeling just never gets old because it just speaks to the accomplishments and the hard work that you continue to put in and the efforts,” Fraser-Pryce said.

She is hoping that her achievements this year will inspire other athletes to continue to work towards their goals.

“To be rewarded for your efforts is always a boost for you as an athlete and you continue to excel at the things that you do, so for me for the Pan Am organisation, I am really grateful that they selected me. I hope that I continue to inspire more athletes to understand that the journey is long but if we never give up and we continue to strive to achieve our goals then we will get there,” Fraser-Pryce noted.

The Pan Am Games proved to be the perfect platform for the World Championships in Doha, but it had not been a part of the original plan for the year, at least not for Fraser-Pryce.

“This year the Pan American Championships, I was in Europe and coach said that I was running at the Pan Am and I have never run at the Pan Am before and I actually went there to run the 200m, which is my least favorite event, but I really wanted to contest the 200m,” she reasoned.

The mother of one, who turns 33 later this month, said that the 2019 season had been an “unbelievable” one for her.

“2019 was emotional and I was also saying that it was an unbelievable season for me coming back. I never take anything for granted; everything is hard work and discipline. There are so many persons that are working hard and going out each time to compete so I don’t count it as being lucky, but it’s just being able to show up when it counts,” Fraser-Pryce shared.

With background work in full swing for the 2020 season, she is already looking forward to what the new year has in store.

“I had a great season and I have to give God thanks for everything that has happened. The fans continue to support Shelly-Ann and of course my sponsors who continue to ride with me. I said before the World Championships that had I not placed or if I didn’t win I would feel so happy to know that I was able to come back and run 10.7s. I had a remarkable season before going to the World Championships so all in all it was a beautiful season and I am just looking forward to 2020,” she concluded.

— Dwayne Richards