Shaunae Miller-Uibo at the World Championships in Oregon (© Getty Images)
The first thing you notice about Shaunae Miller-Uibo – the world-famous sprinter who has clinched two Olympic golds for The Bahamas – is her kaleidoscopic style. From one day to the next, her hair colour swings from magenta to purple, emerald, blue and yellow.
Ever the trailblazer, this Aries star embodies the stereotypical traits of her sign – ultra-competitive, determined, and hard to slow down – which is exactly why Bahamians are so proud to have her competing in the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 on 4-5 May.
In short, Miller-Uibo is a fierce athlete who won’t be overlooked. Even welcoming her son Maicel last April didn’t halt this champion and the 29-year-old competed at the Bahamas nationals just 10 weeks after giving birth.
Chasing the sun
Miller-Uibo is the national record-holder in the 200m and 400m and she holds the world 300m best.
She took home two Olympic gold medals in the 400m, one at the 2016 Rio Games and another in Tokyo, as well as world gold in 2022.
But her path to gold was not without setbacks. “Those watching us never get the full scope of what athletes go through,” she says. “Injuries are one of those things. I’m not only referring to the physical pain but also the mental toughness you need to recover.”
She began running at the age of six. As a child, she was shy but very competitive, proudly admitting that she “would lace up against anyone who wanted a challenge.” Miller-Uibo has fond memories of the World U20 Championships in Moncton in 2010 because it was her first time competing on the world stage at the age of 16. “To walk away with the gold… this was the start of my dreams unfolding,” she says.
Steven Gardiner hands off to Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the mixed 4x400m at the 2017 World Relays (© Getty Images)
Despite her huge success and relocation to Florida, Miller-Uibo always remained very close to her family, many of whom were also blessed with athletic talent. “All my siblings competed in track and field,” she says. “My dad, several uncles and cousins also ran track, so yeah, I think it’s safe to say it runs in the genes.” She is the grandniece of Olympian Leslie Miller, the first Bahamian to run the 400m under 47 seconds.
She credits her parents as key role models. “They have taught me to go after my dreams, to work hard, and to be resilient. Most importantly, they’ve groomed me to know that what I do isn’t for me but for the glory of God, and I don’t think I could have had any two better role models in my life.”
Her advice to up-and-coming Bahamian athletes chasing their own “sun” is “to always keep God first, choose a sport and event that you love, and always have fun doing it.”
Now that she’s started her own family, Miller-Uibo has entered a new life stage, one that she shares with her son, her husband (decathlete Maicel Uibo) and her two German Shepherd dogs Taavi and Amina. “I’m married to an amazing guy who – being an athlete himself – understands my lifestyle. My family makes my life easier so that I can compete at my best.”
It’s literally paradise
Fortunately, it’s not all grind for the world’s fastest mama. Miller-Uibo enjoys vlogging, photography and listening to gospel music, especially Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Cobbs and Jonathan Nelson.
Her career has taken her to some of the world’s most glitzy and glamorous cities, including Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Zurich, Doha, Beijing, Monaco, London, Moscow, Paris and Budapest.
She may have the world at her fingertips, but she loves coming home to The Bahamas, and her main goal for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 is to represent the country well.
“I think we have an amazing team for the mixed relay and I’m hoping we can qualify The Bahamas for the Olympic Games,” she says. “It’s wonderful competing here because there’s no other feeling like hearing your home crowd cheer you on. It makes you want to bring your best.”
So what does she love most about The Bahamas? “That our people are good-natured, always ready to share a good laugh, and that we are, in my eyes, one of the most beautiful countries in the world,” she says. “It’s literally paradise.”
