It was a welcome home fit for a gold-medal-winning coach. Neighbors and friends rallied and caravanned to congratulate Mechelle Lewis Freeman; the woman responsible for leading two superstar USA relay teams to victory.
It had only been about an hour since Mechelle Lewis Freeman arrived back home from Paris. Her neighbors in Frisco wanted to make sure she knew she'd made them proud. So, they caravanned to make sure she felt the love and appreciation.
“You come back home to family, support, the friendly smiles, and neighbors that you're used to seeing. So, it just grounds you, brings you back to your roots and what matters most,” said Freeman
Freeman, a World Champion, and Olympian herself, was the head relay coach for USA women's track and field. She was the laser-focused leader behind two of the most talked-about events during the Paris Olympic games. She talked to NBC 5 about the winning 4x400 meter relay team, with a roster of superstars barely missing a world record.
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“It's really an honor and really [I’m] grateful to come together and go out there and understand which women can get the job done and get it right this time,” she said. We were only a tenth of a second away from the world record.”
Then there was the gold-medal winning 4x100 meter relay with Dallas Native and “it” girl Sha'Carri Richardson.
“Sha'Carri is a superstar in her own right and rockstar. And when I say that, I mean in her talent. She can go out there and she has the top maximum speed that you see in the world. So, getting the stick in the position of not being first, you're a little less worried about her pulling it off,” Freeman said. “I know how much she appreciates her growth and her being able to be at the Olympic games.”
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Women athletes were responsible for 65% of team USA gold medals and Freeman said she's proud to have had a hand in that. As she soaked in the love from family, friends, and neighbors, she prepared to get back to her daily routine.
“The first day of school is tomorrow. I'm just happy to be home doing the things that I normally do,” she said.
As the neighborhood kids lined for an impromptu street relay race, the instincts of an Olympic coach kicked in and Freeman realized the job is never done.
“I’m scouting talent,” she said jokingly as the kids ran down the street.
