CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A special alum of a South Side high school returned for a visit Friday with some Olympic hardware dangling from her neck.
Shamier Little was greeted enthusiastically by students at Lindblom Math and Science Academy at 6130 S. Wolcott in the West Englewood neighborhood. They were sitting in auditorium seats where she once sat until she graduated from the school in 2013.
Little won Olympic gold in the 4 x 400 Meter Relay race and silver in the 4 x 400 Meter Mixed Relay race in Paris.
She remembers her days running track for the Lindblom Eagles.
“It was definitely challenging being here,” Little said. “We didn’t have all the resources. We didn’t have a huge team. We kind of really just made do with what we had.”
Little spoke to current Lindblom students for a few minutes after being honored with performances from the school’s drum corps, cheer squad and acapella singing group.
She was then asked questions ranging from who her favorite teachers were to how she was able to overcome failures along the way on the road to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“I just remember being in y’all’s shoes. I want y’all to know that y’all are closer than you think to what y’all desire or what y’all want in this life,” she told the students.
A couple of times during her appearance, Little led the students in a familiar cheer.
She encouraged students, telling them they should believe in themselves, trust in themselves and “continue to put love out into the world.”
During a question and answer session with students, Little was asked the favorite part of the Olympics for her. She said it was realizing she was among the elite in the world at what she does.
“I would just get really excited about going down into the little athlete lounge, like chillin’, like, ‘Man, I’m sitting here watching track and field, swimming and diving, (tennis star) Coco Gauff’s sitting in the corner.’ We crackin’ jokes. She’s giving us a pen. I’m like, ‘Man, this is the best of the best right here and I’m among the best of the best,’” Little said.
Little’s track coach at Lindblom, Latasha McCray, was in her first year coaching when Little was a freshman. She was also in Paris to watch her former athlete.
“It’s an amazing feeling because you kind of know the failures, and you know the successes and you know how hard she worked to get to the point at which she’s at,” McCray said.
Current Lindblom track team member Daniyah Liggins was moved by seeing the Olympian.
“To see her up there, and, especially during the Olympics doing great, it just motivated me to keep doing what I’m doing and not give up,” she said.
Shamier Little said she hopes to be able to make the Olympics in 2028 when they’re staged in Los Angeles.
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