Sanya Richards-Ross
Olympic Gold Medalist, Track & Field
National Advisory Board
Long-ranked the world’s best 400m runner, Sanya Richards-Ross brought home her first 400m Olympic gold in 2012. In 2009 Richards-Ross finally won the world title that had been eluding her for her entire career. At the 2012 U.S. Trials she tied the Trials record of 49.28 set by Chandra Cheeseborough in 1984. She has been an imperative leader on the four-time World Championship and three-time Olympic gold medal 4x400m team. Considered one of the world’s fastest women, she has the most sub-50 second 400m races in history. She didn’t lose a race in the 400m between the 2005 World Outdoor Championships and the 2007 USA Outdoor Championships. It was a stretch that included breaking 50 seconds nine different times and setting a new American record at 48.70, which also ranked No. 7 on the all-time world list. At just 18 years of age, Richards-Ross won 400m titles both at NCAA Outdoors and USA Outdoors along with running a leg on the World Championships gold medal 4x400m all in 2003. Named Visa Humanitarian of the Year in 2005, her namesake charity, the Sanya Richards Fast Track Program benefits children in need in her native Jamaica. Created in 2007, the program combines literacy, numeracy and promotes an active and healthy lifestyle through sports. She also participates in USATF’s Win with Integrity and awards a scholarship in her name. She married her college sweetheart, Aaron Ross, a two-time Super bowl Champion cornerback with the New York Giants. The wedding was featured on the television show Platinum Weddings. Richards-Ross started filming her own reality show in early 2013.
After announcing her retirement at the 2016 Olympic Trials Sanya quickly joined the NBC Olympic broadcasting team. Alongside Ato Bolden, Sanya did the color commentating for all the sprinting events at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.