The world's fastest woman, Shakari Richardson, returned home for the ceremonial naming of the track and field stadium that helped shape her formative years.
The Shakari Richardson Track at John Kincaid Stadium is located near David W. Carter High School, where Richardson once competed as a Dallas ISD student-athlete. The piece serves as a symbolic tribute to her journey and ties to the Dallas community, while also serving as an inspiration to those stepping into the same fields she once walked. “She left us with a good legacy. When she wins, we feel like we won with her,” said Carter High School track and field athlete Le Nazia J. Told.
richardson He attended Dallas ISD schools from elementary school through high school and was one of the fastest high school track and field athletes in Texas. She believes the relationships she developed with her teachers, coaches, and friends in Dallas ISD helped shape the woman she is today.
“Sha Cali is a great example of someone who has their backs against the wall and still gets the job done,” said Lauren Cross, girls track and field coach at Carter High School and a former coach at Richardson. She remembers Cross telling Richardson to never let the pressures of her life or other people's expectations dictate her destiny.
In addition to naming the athletics stadium, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson proclaimed November 10, 2023, as Shakari Richardson Day.
“Life comes full circle and this is the moment,” Richardson said. “Being able to stand here in my hometown where I started my career is indescribable.”
The Dallas ISD Board of Directors voted unanimously at its Thursday, Oct. 19, board meeting to officially name the track in Richardson's honor. A plaque commemorating Richardson is expected to be installed on the truck in the spring of 2024.
