Noah Lyles’ girlfriend shares how thought of going back to poverty motives her to succeed in athletics
Noah Lyles’ girlfriend, Junelle Bromfield, shared how her experiences with poverty drive her to excel in athletics, ensuring she never returns to those difficult times.
The 26-year-old Jamaican track star, often recognized as Lyles’ partner, has forged her own path in sports despite her challenging childhood.
Bromfield recounted her mother’s efforts to provide for the family, even during tough financial times. She revealed that discovering her mother’s struggles motivated her to aim for Olympic success to lift her family out of poverty. “I grew up in a poor community called George’s Valley where, when I was growing up, I didn’t see a profession bigger than a teacher,” she said in an interview with Sim Soul Sessions.
“Growing up, my mum did an amazing job of not letting us know that we were poor. We never went to bed hungry, but when I was eight, I traveled, and I use this story as a reference. On nights when she did not have any money, she would make us oatmeal that tasted so good, but we had to wait 30 minutes for it because she soaked it in the fridge. When we got it, half the cup was water, and there was oatmeal at the bottom. I thought that’s how you eat oatmeal until I went to a meet and had it thick, realizing I was living in a different world.”
Bromfield, who earned an Olympic silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2020 Games, noted that this experience changed her perspective on life. “The people and kids would say you are country, but that’s just what I knew, and I started to see the world differently,” she added.
“When I came out, I thought, I don’t want to go back because I don’t want to be limited to just being a teacher, and I want to pursue my education beyond 14 or 15. I want to be an Olympian.”
She recently qualified for the 2024 Paris Games in the 400m, marking her second Olympic appearance and her first in an individual event. Although she exited in the semifinals, she later joined Team Jamaica for the 4x400m relay, finishing fifth.
