Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Returns Home to Inspire the Next Generation 

The excitement was palpable at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach on Oct. 4, 2025, as Olympic and World Champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden returned to her home state to give back to the community that shaped her.  

Known as the fastest woman in the world this year with a 100m time of 10.65 seconds (tied No. 5 all-time), and the first American woman ever to win both the 100m and 200m at the World Championships, Jefferson-Wooden didn’t come home to compete, she came home to invest in the next generation of athletes. 

A Carvers Bay High School and Coastal Carolina University alumna, Jefferson-Wooden led the first session of Myrtle Beach’s 2025 Track & Field Fall Development Series, designed for kids ages 6-18 to introduces youth to the sports’ fundamentals.

More than 100 young athletes attended and learned from Jefferson-Wooden, along with fellow Olympic gold medalist Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry, hurdler Tonea Marshall, and World Champion T’Mars “TJ” Macallum, a Carolina Forest High School graduate, who all coached the young athletes. Together, they shared both technical skills and personal stories of determination, encouraging the kids to “go for gold” in sport and in life. 

While in town, Terry also visited Ten Oaks Elementary School in Carolina Forest and read from her children’s book, “TeeTee’s World Adventure” to first and second grade students.

The visit from the star athletes didn’t just inspire local kids, it also drew national attention with NBC Sports’ “On Her Turf” on-site filming the training session and capturing Jefferson-Wooden’s return to her South Carolina roots.

The Track & Field Fall Development Series is put on by the City of Myrtle Beach Recreation Department and the Myrtle Beach Track & Field Club. The program emphasizes skill-building, mentorship and access.

Twanisha TeeTee Terry demonstrates a track start with a young athlete at Doug Shaw Stadium in Myrtle Beach.

Tonea Marshall works with a young athlete on running form at Doug Shaw Stadium in Myrtle Beach.