WRIGHT CITY, Mo. — As Olympians head to Paris to compete for the number one spot in their sport, a man has claimed the title of number one fan.
Since 2019, 36-year-old Félix Trinidad Hernández has been a fan of American track and field sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson.
"I want to meet her. I am a huge fan of hers," he said in Spanish. He believes Richardson embodies courage and perseverance.
He now has a tattoo to prove it.
While Richardson was breaking the 100-meter collegiate record at the NCAA Division I Championships, Hernández was watching from home in the Progress of Zaragoza in Veracruz, Mexico. Her tenacity drew Hernández in.
"I started following her because when she failed, she just gets back up," he said. "People think because we're Brown, or other races we cannot reach other levels. She showed people that we can reach other levels."
Richardson's resilience motivated Hernández to push himself further in his own life.
He came to America in 2020 without knowing the English language. He said he often felt like people were discriminatory.
"We can sometimes reach our dreams here so I came here," he said.
Hernández is now in Wright City, Missouri, working as a construction worker and catering events with his food.
"I love food," he said. "I want my family to be wealthy and a restaurant would help me a lot in Mexico."
His ultimate goal is to return to his hometown in Mexico to open a restaurant of his own. He has his mother, sisters, and more family depending on him to push through.
Hernández said there was a time he wanted to go to the Olympics but he never made it. Now his Olympic dream is to simply to meet Richardson and tell her how much she has motivated him.
He believes that Richardson is destined to have success in the 2024 Olympics.
