After years of battling injuries and setbacks, Jonielle Smith took a major step forward at the Racers Grand Prix on Saturday night, winning the women’s 100m B final in 11.10 seconds—her fastest time since setting her lifetime best of 11.04 at the 2019 Jamaica National Championships.

The 29-year-old, who was part of Jamaica’s gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the World Athletics Championships in Doha that same year, has endured a difficult journey since a car accident in late 2019 left her with a serious back injury. The long road to recovery has been anything but smooth.

“It has been a journey—five long, long years,” Smith said in a post-race interview. “Tonight was very, very important. I’m not going to lie to you, it was a mental challenge for me this year. I’ve been training extremely well from background up until now, so it was kind of nerve-wracking to come out and be like, ‘Is what’s been happening for the past five years going to happen again, or is it finally going to turn around for me?’”

- Racers Grand Prix

Smith, who returned to Jamaica from MVP International in Florida to train with the MVP Track Club in August 2022, has been working diligently to rebuild her form, but her body has not always cooperated. In recent years, she’s dealt with recurring injuries—first the back, then new complications involving her shoulder and neck. There were long stretches of limited competition in 2021 and 2022, and even as late as 2023, setbacks continued to affect her consistency.

Still, she never gave up.

“I’ve been able to do bench press again because last year I had a shoulder injury. I’ve been able to squat, which I haven’t been able to do literally for four years now,” she said. “So I’m very, very happy for that.”

Saturday’s performance was particularly meaningful, not just for the time on the clock, but for what it signaled—trust in her body again.

“My goal this year was not to be afraid of my body—not to go into the race thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, am I going to get hurt?’” she said. “I’ve been confident from day one. This is probably even more of a confidence boost. That is the first time I’m opening with an 11.1 in my entire career, so I’m very, very excited.”

-Marlon Reid photo

Despite missing the early part of last season and facing fresh challenges in 2024, including a lingering neck issue, Smith says her back is finally stable. The progress has been incremental but steady, thanks to her team and a renewed focus on strength work for the muscles supporting her spine.

“Thankfully, my back is actually behaving now,” she shared last season at the Jamaica Athletic Invitational. “I feel like I’ve gotten stronger in those areas—glutes, hamstrings, and all those supporting muscles—but for some reason my shoulder and neck decided to go crazy on me this year... but we’re slowly making progress.”

Her coach and support team have been carefully managing her training load, balancing technique and strength work with injury prevention. With less than three weeks to go before the Jamaica National Championships—where World Championships spots will be on the line—Smith is gaining momentum at the right time.

“From the start, I’ve been confident,” she said. “Let’s just have fun for the rest of the season, honestly.”

Fun, yes—but also purpose. For Jonielle Smith, the finish line is no longer a reminder of what she’s lost—it’s a target for what she still intends to win.

Main photo - Racers Grand Prix