Melissa Jefferson-Wooden penned an emotional note after winning the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year award. She narrowly missed garnering World Athlete of the Year honors despite being one of the most successful track athletes in 2025.
The American sprinter came off a historic season, matching Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s feat by winning the sprint triple (100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay) at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Reflects on Her Journey Towards Glory In The 2025 Season
In a recent Instagram post, Jefferson-Wooden revisited the 2025 season and talked about the mindset she brought to the track, and how she realized she wanted to leave a legacy. The Olympic gold medalist expressed her wish to be the athlete who never stops believing in herself and becomes someone kids draw inspiration from.
She wrote:
“In a year where I spent all of it with my head down, minding my business, and focusing on how to be the best version of myself, I found out the type of mark I want to leave on this sport. I want to be the one who was never afraid to take chances. I want to be the one who finds a way to keep showing up for myself because my family motivates me. I want to be the athlete that kids aspire to be.”
Jefferson-Wooden also expressed her wish to bring positive energy to the people she interacts with, and she went on to share that she has been letting reality sink in, unlike other times. She also showed gratitude to her close ones and supporters, adding:
“I’m blessed enough to have people who love and support me to want to celebrate the things I’ve done. This is me. I am Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and I’m not here to play.”
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The five-time World champion concluded her caption by saying she would return to action in 2026.
Jefferson-Wooden Loses the World Athlete of the Year Award to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Jefferson-Wooden was one of the most consistent athletes this year, triumphing in all the 100m races she entered, including the USATF Outdoor Championships.
However, she lost the World Athlete of the Year honor to 400m world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who became the first woman to hold world titles in the 400m and 400m hurdles after her 2025 World Championships feat.
Following the major announcement, the reigning 100m World champion admitted she wasn’t pleased to have missed out on the top honor, given all the hard work she put in. Despite winning 20 of the 22 races she competed in, the American sprinter was removed from the Athlete of the Year fan vote list, an incident she admitted puzzled her.