WHO I AM
THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN IN HISTORY TO MEDAL IN BOTH SUMMER AND WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Yes, I am the first American woman to earn a medal in the Summer and Winter Olympics and I did have a great sports career if I do say so myself. However, that’s just one part of who I am and I’m still carving out my path in life. This website is meant to help you take a deeper look into the multiple dimensions of me. Here are things I deem to be highlights in my journey.
2016
WORTH WINNING
Lauryn launches new financial planning business, Worth Winning.
SOCHI Winter Olympic GAMES
2014
Lauryn wins silver in the 2-women bobsled.
2012
LONDON SUMMER
OLYMPIC GAMES
Lauryn wins gold in 4x100m
MBA
2009
Lauryn earns an Master's of Business Administration
2008
BEIJING SUMMER
OLYMPIC GAMES
Lauryn gets 4th in 100m
ATHENS SUMMER
Olympic Games
2004
Lauryn earns silver medal in 100m
STAY IN THE LOOP WITH LAURYN WILLIAMS
TRACK + FIELD
I may be diminutive in stature, standing a mere 5/3-1/4", but the frequency of my churning legs made me hard to beat.
It all started with age group track. My mom said I ran faster than the family dog. My dad said my career started when I beat a hologram of Flo Jo at Carnegie Science Center.
I was actually pretty shy growing up. In high school, I only ran track because I was good and enjoyed competing, but I enjoyed school more. While I was always a main contender, I was never a dominant name during this time. I was excited about the opportunity to get a free college education on a track scholarship.
Things changed during my junior year at the University of Miami. In 2004, I was not only the NCAA Champion, but I also held the fastest legal wind time by an American at 10.97, the second-fastest time in the world that year. I traveled to Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games and earned the Silver medal.
I went on to earn multiple accomplishments along the way including:
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2004 NCAA Championship 100m Austin, TX
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2004 Silver Medal 100m Olympic Games Athens, Greece
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2005 100m World Champion, gold Medal 4x100m Relay Helsinki, Finland
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2006 Silver Medal 60m Indoor World Championships Moscow, Russia
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2007 Silver Medal 100m, Gold Medal 4x100m Relay World Championships Osaka, Japan
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2008 Olympic Finalist Beijing, China
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2012 Olympic Gold Medal 4x100 Relay London, England
Track and field gave me the opportunity to travel all over the world and have new experiences. This came with some challenges. I learned to persevere through injury and made lifelong friends.
In July 2013, a nagging injury left me unable to finish my final track season. I was a little overwhelmed with what life after sport would look like but little did I know, I wasn't done competing just yet.
BOBSLED
A chance meeting with Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones introduced me to the idea of bobsledding. After our conversation, I hit the internet and learned I could sign up and try it. Shortly after, I found myself in Calgary, Canada for the Push Championships. With just one training session under my belt and a bum leg, I managed to finish 3rd and my bobsled adventure began.
Just to give a little background, women compete in a two-person sled. There is a driver and brake woman. My job as a brake woman was to push the sled with such power and speed that the momentum created would give a great driver that extra "push" needed to guide the sled down the track sometimes at speeds close to 90 miles per hour.
In December 2013, I embarked upon the World Cup Race Circuit and was fortunate to win 2 silver and 1 gold medal in the four races I competed in, thanks in large part to great drivers. On January 19, 2014, I was named to the USA Olympic Bobsled Team and represented the United States with just six total months of participation in the sport. I was excited to be paired with Elana Meyers in the BMW USA-1 sled and grateful and fortunate to slide our way to a Silver medal in Sochi, just 0.10 second from a Gold medal.
I'm incredibly appreciative of the opportunity I had to add this exciting chapter to my life. The ladies I met while competing in bobsled, better known as "The Wolfpack", are a part of my family now and I'm blessed to have met and learned so much from them and this experience.
OUTSIDE OF
SPORTS
Since retiring from sport, I moved to Dallas, TX with my husband and our dog. I enjoy Law & Order reruns, cooking, and waking up early to do my best work when everyone else is still sleeping.
I love to travel and have currently been to 35 of the 51 states and 49 countries. I have a list of 26 countries I'm still trying to conquer.
Each day I work to balance my personal life with working as a financial planner, podcaster, volunteer, and motivational speaker.
If you want to get to know me better, hire me to speak at your event, check out the podcast, or are looking for a financial planner, this site will provide you with everything you need.