Sanya Richards ran her first race at the tender age of seven – and she’s been winning races ever since.

As a high school student in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sanya began running the 400-meter and 200-meter dash consistently. She holds the national indoor high school records for both races, as well as claiming the 2002 U.S. High School Junior Record in the 400m.

Although Sanya was quickly becoming known as a track star, she also lettered in basketball in high school – and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

As a college student at the University of Texas at Austin, Richards stood out on the track once again – becoming the youngest woman ever to run the 400m sprint in under 49 seconds. In doing so, she defeated the world and Olympic champion at the time.

Sanya became an Olympic Gold Medalist during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, running the third leg of the 4x400 relay.

Then, not content with the success she’d already achieved, Sanya set another U.S. record.

On September 16, 2006, at the IAAF World Cup in Athletics in Athens, Greece, Sanya Richards ran the 400m dash in 48.70 seconds – a new American record. That year, Sanya was also the 2006 Indoor and Outdoor Champion in the 400m event.

For those not familiar with the 400m dash, it’s the longest sprint distance in track and field – essentially a prolonged, high-speed sprint. It’s exactly one lap around most standard-size tracks and runners start in staggered positions, staying in separate lanes the entire way around.

To be competitive, Sanya needs a quick stride and outstanding speed, and she stays nutritionally balanced with NUTRILITE®.

The future for Sanya Richards includes the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where her goals are to remain America’s best – and the world’s best.

Fun Facts about Sanya Richards

• Born February 26, 1985 in Kingston, Jamaica.
• Became a U.S. citizen in May 2002.
• Youngest woman ever to run under 49 seconds in the 400m sprint.
• Graduated in 2006 from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in management information systems.
• Awarded the Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year award in 2005 for her participation in USA Track & Field’s “Be a Champion” program, where she spoke to at-risk young people in several communities about the importance of physical fitness.
• Ranked Number One in the world (2006) by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) at 200m and 400m.
• Undefeated at 400m in 2006.
• Enjoys singing and dancing, regularly putting on shows for her family and friends.
• Diagnosed with Behcet’s disease in April 2007, after fearing a bad case of the flu. Behcet’s is an illness which can cause fatigue and other complications. Since being diagnosed and treated, Sanya’s last outbreak occurred in July 2007. Since then, she’s been on a solid winning streak.