Saint Lucia is known as the home of 2024 Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred, but in recent weeks, the island has welcomed a quartet of fellow high-profile athletes, including triple World champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. Alfred’s role as a Tourism Ambassador for her home country certainly seems to be paying dividends.
Jefferson-Wooden, an American, married college sweetheart Rolan Wooden II in March 2025. Due to the demands of a long athletics season, however, the two were unable to enjoy a proper honeymoon. After taking gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m in Tokyo, Japan, in September, the 24-year-old from South Carolina shared her journey to Saint Lucia, where she and her husband enjoyed a proper celebration at the Jade Mountain resort.
“I love being Mrs Wooden!!! Saint Lucia owes us nothing,” shared Jefferson-Wooden. “Cheers to forever with Mr Wooden.”
Also staying at Jade Mountain in October was World Championships 200m silver medallist, Olympic 4x100m silver medallist, and British national 100m champion, Amy Hunt. The 21-year-old from Nottinghamshire also posted on her social media, stating she was in Saint Lucia and that she was smitten by the destination after just one day.
“Saint Lucia, I’ve only been here for 24 hours, but I’m in love,” she said. Hunt went on to share a reel to TikTok, showing off her room at Jade Mountain, with the captions, “POV: You wake up in Saint Lucia,” and, “Came to paradise for off season.”
Meanwhile, Alfred has been showing her homeland off with former collegiate teammate Rhashidat Adeleke, an Irish Olympian, and social media influencer Tiara Williams. The three were seen on a catamaran in Soufrière, singing along to the lyrics of U My Everything by Sexxy Redd and Drake, “Maybe we go to Saint Lucia, I been there, so I’ll introduce you.”
Adeleke and Alfred both attended the University of Texas. She, Williams, and American long sprinter Vernon Norwood were also at a reception for Alfred at BodyHoliday. Norwood has won seven global relay gold medals with Team USA, including two Olympic titles.
In 2024, Saint Lucia was visited by Keisha Caine Bishop. Her son is Olympic gold medallist and quadruple World Champion, Noah Lyles. Caine Bishop said at the time that she had been encouraged to visit once she met Alfred at Paris 2024.
