TOKYO2025: American sprinter narrates how she saved her father's life after winning three golds
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 22.09.25. | 16:38
Jefferson-Wooden became the first American woman to complete the 100m–200m double at the World Athletics Championships
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden left the Tokyo World Championships with three gold medals around her neck, a historic feat for the American sprint star.
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But her most precious victory was not won on the track; it was the chance to have her father alive to witness her greatest career moments.
Seven years ago, at just 17, Jefferson-Wooden made a decision that defined her, both as an athlete and as a daughter.
She donated stem cells from her bone marrow to her father, Melvin, who was battling a serious condition in which his marrow failed to produce enough white blood cells to keep his immune system strong.
Without it, his life was at risk.
“Doing what I did for my dad was obviously second nature; it was a no-brainer. But at the end of the day, it was my staple of showing the type of person that I am,” Jefferson-Wooden reflected after her triumphs in Tokyo.
That selfless act gave Melvin a new lease of life. This September, he and his wife Johanna were not only present in the stands but seated in the VIP box alongside World Athletics President Seb Coe as their daughter etched her name in history.
Jefferson-Wooden became the first American woman to complete the 100m–200m double at the World Athletics Championships. The last time the same woman swept the 100 and 200 at worlds was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price of Jamaica in 2013.
A week after storming to 100m gold in a championship record time, Jefferson-Wooden followed it with another brilliant display, winning the 200m final ahead of Britain’s Amy Hunt by nearly half a second.
All this came from a 100-meter specialist who surprised her coaches at the start of this year when she said she wanted to take the 200 a little more seriously.
What started as a season-long experiment quickly turned into a fairytale run.
From simply aiming to qualify for nationals, Jefferson-Wooden rose step by step, to the U.S. team, to a contender’s spot, and finally to the top of the podium.
She finished her individual campaign with a dazzling 19-1 record in the 100m and 200m.
Her third gold came on the final day in the women’s 4x100m relay, where she led a star-studded U.S. lineup featuring Twanisha Terry, Kayla White, and Sha’Carri Richardson.
In a rain-soaked battle, the Americans clocked 41.75 seconds, edging Jamaica’s team of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Tia Clayton, Tina Clayton, and Jonielle Smith by just 0.04s. Germany claimed bronze in 41.87.
For Jefferson-Wooden, having her parents and extended family in Tokyo added even more meaning to her gold rush.
“They say, ‘I just can’t wait to see you go out there and make history.’ And, hearing that from them is just like, if they can have that much faith in me, and I’m the one getting on the line, then why can’t I have that faith in myself to be able to do those things?” she said.
It is that faith, first shown when she stepped up to save her father’s life, that now fuels her on the track.
“I did not do it just because he was my dad. I wanted to be able to say, ‘If I had an opportunity to help someone, do it.’ And that’s what life is about.”
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