But it’s not been a linear journey for Desiree. She went from winning bronze at the 2016 Olympics and being the fifth-fastest woman in British history to undergoing major surgery on both knees, losing her funding, and having to pause her athletics career to pursue full-time work to fund it.
She told GLAMOUR about “one of the hardest periods she’s ever had to go through” – when her surgery and injuries prevented her from competing in the 2020 games.
“People go through relationship heartbreak, but missing the Tokyo Olympics, that was probably one of the most painful experiences,” she explains. “I was thinking, is this the sport for me? Maybe it’s time to look at a different path in life, given the fact that it’s every four years. Can I really hold on for another four years and hope to make the Paris team?”
But her resilience and hard work paid off. She qualified for the Olympics this year in Paris and will represent her country in the women’s 4x100m relay.
At her Olympic debut in 2016, Desiree won bronze with her teammates Asha Philip, Dina Asher-Smith, and Daryll Neita, in the women 4x100m relay.
To be a part of that representation of Black women – specifically dark-skinned Black women at that moment – was one of the most special moments of Desiree’s career.
“It felt amazing, being with these girls. We’ve grown up with each other. We’ve been competing against each other since the ages of 11, 12 and upwards. The fact that we are dark-skinned Black women, made me so happy.
“One thing I’ll never shy away from is being Black. Why? Because it is my skin. I can’t take it off. And even if I could, I wouldn’t because it’s gorgeous, it’s beautiful.”
“Obviously, when you are Black, you understand the different levels of colourism and what it means to be beautiful and Black. And I felt like that was an opportunity for the dark-skinned Black girls to know that this is what beauty, success, sport, and joy look like.”
But she didn’t know just how much it meant to other people until after the race when she and her team received a huge outpouring of love and support.
“I didn’t honestly realise the impact that we had, such as the messages that we were receiving, the letters, even in-person. I had different people coming up to me, whether it was a parent saying, ‘Oh my gosh, my little Black girl loves you’ or ‘Desiree, I want to look like you when I’m older; I want to be as big as strong as you’. We don’t realise the impact that we’re having. It’s huge just by being professional athletes.”
The Olympics has not always been an inclusive space for Black athletes. And Desiree has never shied away from talking about racism. She explained that travelling to different countries and experiencing different cultures has meant that she is more aware of prejudices that affect her and other people of colour.
“I’m consistently reminded that I’m not just an athlete; I’m an individual, and I am a person. I’m not always going to get preferential treatment or special treatment because in other parts of the world, outside this athletics bubble, people just see me as a Black woman.
“But one thing I’ll never shy away from is being Black. Why? Because it is my skin. I can’t take it off. And even if I could, I wouldn’t because it’s gorgeous, it’s beautiful.”
Hannah Peters
