Olympic sprinter Brittany Brown honored with mural at former elementary school after overcoming early hardships

Tue, 05 May 2026 05:43:00 +0200

Olympic sprinter Brittany Brown, who won a bronze medal in the women’s 200 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has been honored with a mural at her former elementary school, Vista del Valle in Claremont, California. The artwork celebrates not only her athletic achievements but also her perseverance through a difficult childhood marked by chronic illness and housing instability. As a child, Brown struggled with asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis, and was often discouraged from physical activity. Her family also faced financial hardship, at times living in a hotel near the school.

Despite these challenges, Brown discovered her passion for running during a school track meet in fourth grade, an experience she described as freeing and transformative. She went on to become a standout athlete, eventually reaching the Olympic stage. The mural, created by local artist Xiucoatl Mejia, depicts Brown running with a torch while children—some modeled after current students—follow behind her. The piec