Although UK track and field journalist Lillian Okolie has interviewed multiple international stars over the years, she says Jamaican athletes are arguably the best to speak to due to their level of openness and patriotism.

Okolie is the founder and operator of The Inside Lane, which produces athletics content including interviews and in-depth features for online and social media.

She’s covered major global track and field events including the World Athletics Championships, Diamond League, European Championships and World Relays.

Over the last year, Okolie has also made the trek to Jamaica for the National Senior Championships, Jamaica Athletics Invitational, and the 2025 ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

Her interviews with the likes of Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Yohan Blake and Omar McLeod have gone viral, garnering millions of views across various platforms.

Okolie says the humility of the Jamaican athletes is one of the main reasons she holds them in such high regard.

“I’ve received a level of honesty and pride that I didn’t expect because it’s not like I asked for it but that’s just how they received me; they’re not afraid to bare their true emotions and that’s not an easy thing to do, especially to someone they don’t know,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“They’re very welcoming and open to educate, as well, so there’s a lot of things that I, not being an athlete, don’t know and they’re open to educating and giving me insight into things I don’t know and that’s what sets them apart.”

Okolie believes the athletes’ commitment to representing Jamaica is a sight to behold.

“If you didn’t study geography, you’d think Jamaica is the biggest country in the world but [their] hearts are big, [their] drive and spirit are big and that’s what sets them apart. You wouldn’t realise how small of an island Jamaica is because of [their] heart and spirit and that’s major, that’s not something that can be replicated or taught,” she said.

Being one of the few black journalists covering the sport in Europe, Okolie says it’s her mission to put more focus on black athletes, including Jamaican, whose voices haven’t been heard enough.

“It’s been tough. I’ve said many times that I go to these European circuits, Diamond League, World Champs and, for the most part, I’m the only black person in the media zone which isn’t fun and it’s very uncomfortable having to essentially prove myself. But that’s why I really love and respect the athletes because they make me feel seen, just as much as I see them,” she said.

“There’s not an athlete that hasn’t stopped for me because they know that I’m standing out so one of my goals is to make sure that there’s better representation in the media zone because a lot of the top athletes are black athletes and they need to be able to see themselves in the people that are asking them questions because there’s a level of care we approach the athletes with that isn’t afforded to them by the traditional media people,” Okolie added.

Okolie says she plans to return to Jamaica in July for the 2025 National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships.

— Daniel Blake