Jamaican sprinter Julian Forte nearly walked away from track and field after suffering yet another injury at the 2024 National Championships. However, on Saturday at the Gibson Relays, he delivered an impressive 60m victory, clocking 6.48 seconds—a performance that signalled his resurgence and renewed ambitions. Having battled a series of setbacks over the past four years, including hamstring, abductor, adductor, quadriceps, shin, Achilles, and glute injuries, Forte was at his breaking point.

“I was going to call it a career at the end of the national championships last year,” Forte admitted. “These things get frustrating, and I felt like maybe it was the best thing to do. It’s hard to deal with those disappointments over and over, especially knowing what I’m capable of.”

Despite his frustrations, Forte found motivation in his belief that he could still achieve his best. Encouragement from his support system helped him reconsider, pushing him to fight through the adversity and continue training. "When I spoke to them after the championships last year, all of them were like, 'Don’t give up. You have it, you just need to find a way to get to the bottom of these injuries and push through.' That really motivated me to keep going," he told Sportsmax.TV.

In addition, his own drive to truly maximize his immense potential also keeps him going.

“It’s not knowing what I’m capable of that keeps me going because I feel like I can get it right,” he explained. “I’m not someone who gives up easily, so I’m going to fight and try my best to see what I can get out of it.”

Over the past four years, Forte has dealt with an ever-changing list of injuries, rarely experiencing the same issue twice. He has made it a priority to strengthen his body and prevent further breakdowns.

“I don’t generally suffer the same injury all the time. It’s usually something else that rears its head. So when I get over one thing and strengthen that area, I might have neglected another area that then breaks down. I’m just trying to cover all my bases and see if I can put a stop to it,” he said.

Now, he has set his sights on the World Indoor Championships next month, awaiting a decision from the selection committee.

“I am healthy and just trying to keep it that way for World Indoors,” Forte said. “If they select me, I guess it’s up to the selection committee, but I’ll indicate my interest and leave the rest up to them.”