"I'm gonna hold your hand when I say this" - Masai Russell gets brutally honest about what it takes to achieve greatness

Masai Russell shared a harsh reality about what it takes to become great in the sport after winning her first national indoor title over the weekend. The American hurdler is the reigning Olympic champion in the women's hurdles.

Russel apparently received questions from fans about what it takes to achieve greatness and shared her answer in a TikTok video. The Olympic champion highlighted that becoming great required lifestyle changes, which further required making sacrifices.

"People always ask me what it takes to be great, and I'm gonna hold your hand when I say this," she warned.

"Being great, being successful is not when you feel like it, it's not when you think you should, it's a lifestyle. The days you don't want, the days you want to, the days you have no faith, the days you do have faith, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how you feel. You are choosing this lifestyle because you want something out of it," Masai Russell added.

The 24-year-old added:

"So, my answer to you is how bad you really want it. Not having all your desires in life is going to be just as hard as working towards what you want in life. The choice is yours."

Russell is the joint fifth-fastest 100m hurdler in history, having clocked a time of 12.35s at the US Olympic Trials last year. She was 0.02s slower in the final at the Paris Olympics, but it was enough by 0.01s to win her the gold medal, and much more in the coming months.

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Masai Russell reflects on her resilient journey after winning her 2nd national title

Masai Russell during the 2025 USATF Indoor Championships - Source: Getty

While Masai Russell holds the collegiate record in the women's 100m hurdles, she never won a national title in her four seasons at the University of Kentucky. However, she has won two since turning professional and shared a message for her fans after winning her second on Sunday.

"It’s crazy I have won two national titles as a pro but never as a collegiate athlete! Never count yourself out 🫶🏽," she wrote.

Russell clocked a lifetime best of 7.74s to win the 60m hurdles title at the US Indoor Championships, beating Grace Stark by 0.02 seconds. However, the 24-year-old announced that she won't be competing in next month's World Indoor Championships and would instead prepare for the outdoor season.