'Fun, fast, fabulous': Olympic hurdler Queen Harrison Claye has lived out her dreams - but she’s not done yet
When asked to describe her athletics career to date in just three words, Queen Harrison Claye didn’t skip a beat before delivering an answer.
'Fun, fast, and fabulous.'
The latter largely stems from her standout persona on the track.
From colourful fits to her bold, signature lipstick - Harrison Claye is proof that you can win big while still showing up as your authentic self.
That is exactly the kind of legacy the 35-year-old wants to leave behind.
“I think it would be the way that I hopefully influence the next generation, especially of young girls,” Queen told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.
“My legacy, I pray, is yes she was a fast hurdler, but she also came as herself.”
The hurdler hosts camps and clinics, including in her hometown of Virginia, and proactively replies to messages asking for advice - it’s one of the ways she gives back to her community.
But with Paris 2024 in sight, now she wants to show it on the track too.
We caught up with Queen upon her return to the sport, as she works towards Olympic qualifiers in the summer.
Queen Harrison Claye plans to leave a legacy in the sport and beyond.
Queen Harrison Claye: Inspiring the next generation
When you’re a trailblazer, the next generation of athletes look to you – but who inspires you?
For Queen, there is one person in particular who helped shape her formative years as a hurdler.
“I’d be remiss not to mention Flo Jo [Florence Griffith Joyner],” she revealed.
“You would think it’s just about the style aspect, but it wasn’t. It was about the person… you could tell she left it all on the track.
“Flo Jo would just be ecstatic [after winning] and to me, it showed that she really enjoyed this and it reiterated to me ‘have fun in this’.”
The late Flo Jo, known for her iconic one-legged fits on the track, has been a cornerstone of Queen’s growth.
Now she wants to do the same for the up-and-coming stars, some of whom she shares the track with and some she helps nurture from a young age.
“I think it’s important to [be authentic] in life - track and field just happens to be my medium,” Queen explains.
“[It is] one of my God-given talents and a place for me to showcase my talent and also my personality and who I am.
“For so long it’s been ‘you need to decide, you should be focused on your event’, they negate to realise that I can wear lipstick, have flowing curls and still be 100 per cent focused on running fast - it’s so important for me to show that.”
Despite the backlash she faced initially, Queen continued to show up as herself.
It is that kind of persistence that makes the veteran a role model for the next generation of athletes.
“I’m privileged and honoured to see how my legacy continues through the current [generation] and how it will continue even when all of us are done.
“Hopefully I add a couple more stamps to that legacy!”
Adjusting to motherhood: "I’m still working through it"
Harrison Claye has spent some time away from the track, for very good reason.
When she isn’t busy galvanizing the current crop of athletics prospects, she is undoubtedly inspiring her daughter to follow in her footsteps.
That may not necessarily be in hurdling, but it most certainly involves encouraging her to be herself.
“She is definitely her own person, despite being named after me,” Queen says.
“She’s very sweet and thoughtful - I’m interested to see who she’s going to continue to grow into. I know she’ll be amazing in whatever she does.”
Being a first-time mother has meant plenty of ‘active’ adjustment, physically and mentally.
“There are the physical hurdles that I had to overcome, just getting back into race shape which I’m still actively working on,” she continued.
“But I think a lot of it that I didn’t realise was the mental aspect - [when I’m] with my baby or not, she is always on my mind.
“That is something I’ve been diligently working towards being able to separate… when I step on the track, to just be present right there - I’m doing better each race, but that was something I had to get over.”
For this mum meets hurdler, there is also another element that has taken some getting used to: selflessness.
As an athlete, especially one who competes solo, you have to be selfish in the pursuit of your goals.
Showing up for your family consistently, on the other hand, is all about the ability to be selfless.
But that doesn’t deter Queen, who adds: “It’s a constant battle, but I’m enjoying the ability to live out my dreams in multiple ways.”
Paris 2024: This feels like redemption
A lot has happened between her debut in Beijing and the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, but one thing hasn’t changed: Queen’s hunger to succeed.
Now more than ever, she wants to put herself where she belongs: on the podium.
The hurdler has come a long way from the 19-year-old who competed in 2008.
“I was so young, I was still in college and I was out there kind of on my own,” she said, reminiscing on her Olympic debut.
“Luckily my mother and sister were able to come out, but I didn’t have a coach, I didn’t have any other support system like that.
“It still kind of haunts me to this day… the ‘what ifs’, if I would have been able to have proper preparation and for my coach to be able to come out there.”
But nonetheless, it was an experience that helped the then-teenager grow and come into her own.
“I learned to pull something out of myself that I didn’t know was there [when winning NCAA championships] because I had to do it in Beijing.”
Now Queen has her sights set on competing at Paris 2024.
After marginally missing out on a place at Rio 2016, she is determined to prove that the world stage is exactly where she should be.
“It feels like that redemption of showcasing my ability to be in that space,” she told us.
“I showed I can be an Olympian in the 400M hurdles, [now] let me show I can be an Olympian in the 100M hurdles.
“And then [I’ll] go out there and give my best effort - just like throughout my career, my best effort has always put me in the running to be on the [podium].”
Competing in France would be made all the more special having her daughter in the stands to cheer her on for the very first time.
It is the perfect opportunity to show her what it means to live out your dreams.
“I [would] love to show her that and all the young girls that are looking up to me.”