It was a moment of profound introspection for Jonielle Smith, a time when the Jamaican sprinter found herself grappling with the very real temptation to surrender, to walk away from a sport that had brought her both triumph and tribulation.

Smith, who dazzled with a gold medal in the women’s 4×100m relay at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, had faced a challenging period marked by injuries and sub par performances that hadn’t yielded a major medal since her 2019 triumph.

“After national trials last year [2024 JAAA/Puma National Senior & Junior Championships] and the decision was not to go to Europe, I was thinking of stopping right there,” Smith recalled, her words unveiling the vulnerability behind the steely determination of an athlete who had already given years to chasing greatness.

Smith said it felt like the fifth year of relentless pursuit, marked by injuries that sidelined her, and performances that fell below expectation, seeding doubt within herself.

“I just kept on getting hurt. And even when I got healthy enough, my performances were very below par and so I was doubtful within myself like, ‘Is this my time [to retire]?,” the 30-year-old Smith told the Sunday Observer.

“Was it a sign to shut it down? But my support team said they can give me one more year and they will help me through.’

“I don’t have a contract so I had to be depending on my family. I did more this year and so we were like, ‘Okay, we are going all in and so if it works out then yes, but if not then we call it what it is and retire,’ ” she remembered.

Fast-forward to Tokyo where the 2025 World Athletics Championships became the stage for Smith’s resurgence — a “surreal moment” as she anchored Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team to a scintillating silver medal with a season’s best 41.79 seconds, narrowly missing gold behind USA’s 41.75, last month.

“I wasn’t giving it my all before,” Smith admitted with characteristic candour.

“I took a step back to try to figure out what was going on… how can I help my body to manage the training and also to compete well — and I think I did a really good job of that,” said Smith who won the gold medal in the 100m at the 2025 NACAC Championships in Freeport, The Bahamas, where she clocked 11.05 seconds.

And when the baton landed in her hands for that anchor leg Smith unleashed a ferocity born of months of recalibration — a competitiveness palpable to all watching.

“A lot of persons could have seen that, from each of my runs, like I was ready to compete,” she said. “And honestly, I wanted the gold medal for the team but getting the silver was amazing. It was better than the gold I got in Doha.”

When asked if she’d envisioned catching USA’s fireball Sha’Carri Richardson, Smith’s grin is almost audible.

“I told my therapist before, ‘If she is in front of me, I am hawking her down, and if I am in front she is not catching me,’ ” she said. “I have always said it, ‘If I am healthy, no matter who I am lined up with, I am going to give my 100 per cent. And so, Sha’Carri just added a little fuel.

“I know she is good, I know the USA team is good, and so I really wanted us to stomp our ground to say, ‘Jamaica is here as the sprint capital of the world!’ Unfortunately, we got the silver but it was a good challenge from start to finish and I am happy we were able to that.”

Integral to Jamaica’s charged performance was the pre-race benediction from icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

“She was just telling us to go out there, trust ourselves, trust our teammates… We went out there very confident. Our biggest goal was to get the baton around safely and efficiently, and I think we did a really good job of that,” Smith said.

Far from signalling an end, Tokyo’s silver imbued Smith with renewed resolve. Contract-less and financially challenged like many athletes balancing body and ambition, Smith frames Tokyo as clarion inspiration.

“Tokyo has inspired me more to keep on going,” she said. “I believe I can even do better next year; I don’t have a contract and so if the opportunity presents itself [to continue], definitely. And if there is some financial support, [that would also help] because it’s hard — not just from a person who is injured but just maintaining your body, it’s hard.”

On Thursday, Smith received a heartfelt welcome back at St Francis Primary and Infant School, where her athletic journey began. Principal Shallette McIntyre highlighted that it’s rare for athletes to acknowledge their primary schools, making Smith’s recognition extra special.

“Oftentimes athletes like Jonielle who have succeeded to where they are now have spoken of the high school which they attended, and you rarely hear of the primary or basic schools where it all started. And for us, Jonielle started here,” McIntyre told the Observer.

McIntyre shared that Smith’s potential was evident from age four, showcasing “athletic profoundness” that Coach Gordon nurtured from infant school through to grade six. Smith represented St Francis in the Primary School Championships, laying the foundation for her career.

“We saw that athletic profoundness in her. And our Coach Gordon worked with her from infant school right up to grade six where she represented us at the Primary School Championships, and so we saw it fitting to do this for her. Congratulations, well done, and you deserved it. I just want her to continue with being determined, continue being focused, put God first; and just keep being persistent, and putting in hard work,” McIntyre said.

Smith’s words capture the warmth and significance of her homecoming reception at St Francis Primary and Infant School, where her athletic journey took root.

“This feels so good. This is where I started. I had to run with the big boys because everything my brother did, I followed him. I am feeling amazing. I thought it was just going to be a small gathering but this feels so good, honestly,” she said.

Jonielle Smith anchors Jamaica to a silver medal in the women’s 4x100m relay final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, September 21. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Smith (centre, in black) shares a moment with students of St Francis Primary and Infant School during the reception held in her honour….

St Francis Primary and Infant School Principal Shallette McIntyre (left) presents a citation to sprinter Jonielle Smith during a welcome reception at the school on Thursday.