Queen Harrison is a track and field superstar who has competed at the highest levels of the sport, specializing in hurdles. An Olympic athlete from the 2008 Games, she also boasts a gold medal from the 2015 Pan American Games and another from the 2019 World Relays. Recently, Harrison shared an inspiring Instagram video of herself back on the track, captioning it, “Nuff said. I’m back on track!” Beyond her achievements, Harrison is celebrated for her dynamic approach to fitness, love of healthy eating, and empowering mindset. Whether it’s mixing up her workouts, embracing her individuality, or finding motivation in the little things, she continues to inspire her followers on and off the track.
Running is one of the main ways that Harrison stays in shape. She talked about what she loves about it in an interview with SELF. “Whether it’s the release of endorphins on a leisure run, or a competition that I’ve won, I love that I get to put forth my best effort. That feeling of accomplishment has done wonders for my emotional and mental health. I also like the simpler, physical aspects of it. I mean, how else am I going to get hamstrings and glutes like this, other than running my butt off?!”
Harrison makes sure to eat healthy, even when she goes out to eat. One thing she likes to eat is salmon. Harrison shared this post on Instagram of herself enjoying a salmon dish at a restaurant in the Maldives. The Mayo Clinic reports that salmon has a lot of health benefits. “Seafood in general, and salmon in particular, is a good choice for protein in the diet. If you can use salmon in place of a higher fat meat, that’s even better. Salmon is probably best known for its omega-3 fatty acids. Called EPA and DHA, these fats may support heart health, brain function and healthy joints.”
Harrison is all about being true to herself. She talked about this in her SELF interview. “For as long as I can remember, being a female athlete is to be told ‘this is what you’re supposed to do to be taken seriously,’ and ‘you can’t do this, or you shouldn’t do that.’ I’ve discovered who I wanted to be, whether that be feeling free to speak out about social issues, or unafraid to wear red or blue lipstick on the track. Maybe I wear my hair half up, half down, whereas before, it was supposed to be that your hair is pulled back in a ponytail and you’re barefaced. Now I can see that I’m a full individual, not just a hurdler, not just a track athlete, but also a woman with all these passions. When I was able to combine all that, and put myself out on the track, even if it’s just blowing a kiss to the fans at the starting line, I realized that being me is the most important thing.”
Harrison likes to do a lot of different exercises to keep herself in shape. She shared some of her favorites in her SELF interview. “I love to stay active. I do a lot of lifting in the weight room, which helps with my sprinting and hurdling. I love dynamic movement, but I also love to dance, which is a little-known fact about me. I’m a certified Zumba instructor. I love to express myself through dance.”
Harrison shared how she stays motivated in her SELF interview. “In a perfect world, it’d be great to motivate myself to keep pushing no matter what, but sometimes I have to understand there will be defeat. Sometimes I won’t feel my best, and I need to know how to navigate that. During those times, I try focusing on being the best version of myself. As a runner and hurdler, there are so many different aspects that I can improve: I can get faster on the track, I can get a better start out of the block, I can get over the hurdle faster, I can get stronger. So I just try to focus on something else, versus obsessing over how my hurdling is not going well on any given day. I can either put all my energy towards something negative, or I can say, ‘OK, what I can do is get my ninety-eight ounces of water today.’ Just diverting my mind is helpful.”