Side Track with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden completed a sprinting sweep at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and is again among the fastest women in the world in 2026. But when not running electric times, she also runs her own non-profit organisation, The Village Initiative Inc. which she spoke about in the latest Side Track.

How did the Village Initiative come about?

I woke up on the last day of my honeymoon last fall in Saint Lucia and had this thought I want to start my non-profit. I wanted it to be something that gives to underprivileged communities or places where I'm from, but then also wanted it to be a central hub of resources where people can come to and get the things they need, or be pointed in the right direction. So it basically stemmed from there and I ended up putting together a board.

It started in your hometown but has already expanded, right?

At first, I wanted to just do it in my hometown, but my husband told me I have too many connections in different places to just limit myself to Georgetown County. He suggested that could still be the focal point but that the reach is so much greater than where you're from. And so that's where I came up with the idea of having a two-part launch.

We’re doing a festival back home at my high school, which is basically like a community centre with local vendors and food trucks with an introduction to what we’re trying to do and creating spaces where people realise that you need a village - you don’t have to do it all alone. Then the second part is our launch - a gala - and our main sponsorship/fundraising event, and we’ll have that in Orlando where I now reside. That night will consist of a fireside chat with boxer Omari Jones, NFL player Marquise Goodman and Olympic sprinter TeeTee Terry. They will all share insights on how they got to where they got to.

It’s a night for people to come together, network, and be inspired by other people's stories.

What are the programmes you’ve got lined up?

There's one called 'The Village Gives' and that will consist of a backpack drive and a holiday drive next year. Another is called 'The Village Champions' which is an initiative where we pick out one to three underprivileged schools and find out which areas they most need help with.

What was the inception of that idea?

When my nephew started to play football, his coach – who is actually one of the members of my board – explained to me that kids are responsible for getting their own cleats. I then offered to get new cleats for the whole team. It then got me thinking about getting sponsors involved – whether that’s providing book bags for the backpack drive or shoes for a sports programme or someone providing laptop rentals or whatever the case may be. 

What about the backpack drive you mentioned? What do they entail? 

Everyone thinks about getting a new backpack when the school year first starts. But nobody really thinks about when you're halfway through the year and your parents have to go back to the store and buy more supplies because your kid lost their pencils the first couple days of school. So that's what I'm trying to address.

Have you got other plans in the pipeline?

By the time we do our gala next year, I want to be able to start giving out scholarships for kids and young adults. Often they’re for kids starting school but nobody thinks about the student who started but needs that little bit of help to finish.

Is that from your own experience?

I was a student athlete who went pro before they graduated so I still have about 30 credits left so it’s on my to-do list to finish my degree. I thought it was cool providing scholarships for kids or students who started but had to take a step back but want to get back into it and they’re almost at the finishing line. It's the final push to get them over the finishing line.

Who was your village growing up?

There are too many people to name so that’s why it’s called the village. The people in my village know who was there when it mattered. My Mum and Dad of course but they were working two jobs at a time so it was the after-school programme or my aunt or sister picking me up. Or in the summertime I picked up a job in the library where my aunt worked. Or my friends’ parents after band practice or basketball practice or track practice. So that’s why it’s called the village.

What’s the ultimate goal?

I'd love for my organisation to have the same impact as LeBron James' 'I Promise School'. I truly believe that it could happen.

It’s obviously a big undertaking. Does it help or hinder your running?

I like the balance. Since becoming world champion, I’ve been trying really hard to figure out a way to navigate it. Doing this has helped take the pressure off. I think it’s why I’ve been running as well as I have been. It’s the best thing ever. It’s very rewarding; more rewarding in some ways than athletics has been.

This is more a marathon than a sprint isn't it?

My husband likes to say sometimes when things get too much for me I like to dissociate. Us sprinters have to learn patience and I’m still working on that - things like waiting to hear back from someone or finding out someone’s taken a table at the gala.

This is just the beginning of the journey isn't it?

It is. The thing I’m most looking forward to is we’re only starting now. Who’s to say what the reach could be come Los Angeles in two years’ time. And I’m having thoughts about a Village hub like a building where people can come and get resources in different states.