Masai Russell: More than a medal
- Reaghan Chen
- Apr 2
- 7 min read
The newest gold medalist in the women's 100-meter hurdles is always running. In the hour
KRNL sat down with Masai Russell, it was clear her world never stops moving.
Inside the Jim Green Indoor Track and Field Center, Russell is the picture of an influencer ready for a photoshoot. From lashes and tooth gems to the classic brown UGG slippers, you may never know that she set the new Olympic trials record this past summer or broke the collegiate record in 100-meter hurdles.
Unless, of course, you are one of her 512,000 followers on Instagram, or if you are a University of Kentucky track and field alum — 10 of whom stopped by Jim Green to get the chance to meet Russell and take a picture with the Olympian.
The interview hiatus took a couple of minutes, but Russell didn't mind. It's just another day for the 24-year-old, who immediately offered to grab her medal to show the alums (most of whom ran for UK before Russell was even born).
Russell said a fan base is nothing new for her, but being an official Olympian has propelled her into a different league.
"I never seen one (a gold medal) before my own," Russell said to the men as they all took turns touching the gold.
If you had told Russell at the beginning of 2024 that she would wear a gold medal around her neck at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it was already on her vision board for the year. It's a theme in her life that Russell said she has seen time and time again.
"You know everything isn't a coincidence," Russell said. "It's just been so many times like I've said the things that I'm gonna do, I said who I am, I said what I wanna be and it's come to pass."
Olympic Gold. Check. New Car. Check. 500,000 followers on Instagram. Check. NCAA Champion. No, but she became a collegiate record holder.
Russell said "It's all about perspective," which is rooted in her faith, though religion was not strongly instilled throughout her upbringing. She said her parents were dragged into church while they were growing up, so they decided to be a little more relaxed when it came to Russell and her four siblings. However, as Russell has watched her trajectory take shape, she gives gratitude to God.
"I just feel like God has blessed me, so for me to use my blessings against other people or use it in a way that's not like uplifting, it's a disservice," Russell said.
"Just as quick as you could get it is as quick as it can get taken away."
Russell will do everything in her power to prevent her running career from being taken away.
"It's money on the line, this is people's careers on the line," Russell said. "I don't ever want to have no setback on something that I can control."
As an athlete, Russell's body is her vessel to support herself on and off the track. Russell has the mindset of taking care of "what is making you do what you do." One injury could end an athlete's career. One wrong decision could flip Russell's world upside down, and she knows this but strives not to live her life in fear.
"If you live in worry and live in the what-if, then you're doing a disservice to what you have right now," Russell said
What Russell has right now is a body that can not only move, but move fast, and she is putting it to work. Work for Russell means racing because training is not enough to perform at this caliber — you must compete.
Competing has driven Russell since she started running track and field at eight years old, and it still gives her that "edge" today.
"My thing is like, 'I'll be cool with you after I beat you, right?'" Russell said.
That spirit is something Russell's boyfriend of three years, Robbie Springfield, admires about her.
"Relentless, passionate, hungry" were the three words Springfield used to describe Russell — hungry being his favorite trait.
"As long as the hunger still there, everything else follows," Springfield said. "She's getting all this praise, all this, you know, she still want it."
Russell still wants it. She said she wants to be "dominant." She wants "to be the one to beat all the time," and being a hurdler, it's all on Russell to perform when she hits the track.
"It's literally you, so it's like you don't have no one else to fall back on, you know, it's just you," Russell said.
"You got to do your job because if you don't do your job, like you're not walking away with anything."
Springfield mentioned their plans following the interview and shoot included building furniture for the new house Russell recently purchased, but Russell said they would be going to the UK versus Louisville basketball game.
"I don't even know why she said that," Springfield said, shaking his head with a smile. "The game's in four hours. We got to go put her house together."
Hours later, Russell and her gold medal were on the floor of Rupp Arena during halftime.
"Yes, running track and being an athlete is what I do and it's who I am four to five days out of the week, but it doesn't make up my whole entire being," Russell said.
That outlook on her profession is one draw to her social media presence, and just like many others in Gen Z, Russell has a pretty normal start to her day, which usually begins around 9:30 or 10 a.m. (if it is her choice).
"It's bad, but I just be sitting on my phone for hours," Russell said. "I be like telling myself, 'alright, get up."
Although most of Russell's followers will never experience the moment of winning an Olympic gold, this morning routine of checking how posts are doing, scrolling through notifications and rewatching Instagram stories, proves the normalcy of Russell's life off the track.
Now, take this with a grain of salt because Russell's normal is still somewhat extraordinary. Like many others, Russell uses social media as "a way to showcase" who she is, but the difference — her audience is the whole world.
So, how does the world see Russell? If you look at her "catalog" on social media, you will find racing photos, red-carpeted events, family photos and brand deals ranging from RayBan to Hulu. It is clear to see that Russell is breaking out of the "sports box" and that excites her.
She's not just an Olympian, a Nike athlete and a hurdler. She's also an influencer, a sister, a daughter and a role model.
"I want to be perceived as someone who can put it on off the track. Like I could be bigger than just a track athlete," Russell said. "I could be someone that's like great at what she does, but she still looks like a fashionista."
A few moments following the interview, Russell proved how much of a "fashionista" she is, trading in her sweatsuit and slippers for a Pep Dress designed by ClartFart, bright red pumps and all silver jewelry (she's a silver girl). Russell was more than comfortable in front of the cameras and lights, posing effortlessly.
"People see me still as someone bigger than just a track athlete... I don't only give just athlete," Russell said.
Don't get her wrong, Russell is still a pretty big track athlete, one who will be added to the Jim Green Olympians wall, about 100 feet from where she did her photoshoot. Russell joked that UK should get the lifesize picture up sooner rather than later.
"Y'all better push some people over," Russell said. "After a couple years, y'all (the other Olympians on the wall) gotta go because I know who just won the most recent one."
The most recent Olympics, Russell said, was just the beginning for her. In women's track, Russell said she will hit her prime at 27, 28 and 29 years old, so in the meantime, she is continuing to work hard and set those big goals — some of which will be on her vision board for the year.
Her vision board may appear on her TikTok, something Russell mentioned she needs to do, but if it doesn't (who can blame the Olympian whose life never stops moving), here is a sneak peek.
Russell said her vision board for 2025 will look a little different. Since there are no Olympic games this year, she plans on having the "world record" for both indoor and outdoor in both the 60 and 100-meter hurdles, "continuous faith" and quotes that will propel her into "a new era, new season, new direction, new guidance, new life."
"Just reminding myself every day like you've done it before," Russell said. "You can do it again."
To watch this story's video, click below.
Commentaires