Former Team WAR standout Sha’Keela Saunders is in London set to compete in the IAAF World Championships.

Former Lady Warrior and Kentucky Wildcat Sha’Keela Saunders will be showcasing her talents on an international level once again. In July, Saunders competed in the IAAF Diamond League event in Lausanne, Switzerland. There she placed well and qualified for the World Championships in London. Her event starts on Aug. 9, and the finals will be on Aug. 11.

Previously, Saunders has mentioned that she wasn’t completely satisfied with her international performances. However, she plans to change that while in London. Saunders will have a chance to compete against some of her role models. Her performance in Lausanne helped her build confidence for London.

“Lausanne gave me a sense of belonging,” Saunders said. “I went in excited to compete with my role models, but I have to realize that my role models are now my rivals. That event made me believe I can win the World Championships and I have made that my goal.”

Her preparation for London has gone well. She trained in Monaco in Europe. In doing so, it made it easier for her to adjust to the time change, being that she is already overseas. She feels that her training has gotten a lot easier because it is more specific to her event, which is the long jump.

“I’m just really excited to represent my country on the world stage,” she said. “For centuries, USA has been known for producing the best for track and field, so it is a huge honor to wear USA across my chest. I’m excited for the competition itself. I feel very prepared mentally and physically, and I’m going for gold.”

Saunders enjoyed a solid senior year for the University of Kentucky. She described her indoor season as “perfect.” During her indoor season, she came one centimeter short of owning the indoor long jump record. She was the NCAA indoor champion in the long jump. On the other hand, she went through a bit of adversity during her outdoor season. Some medical issues kept her out of many practices during her outdoor season, which had her playing catch up to her competitors. Thankfully, Saunders admits that she caught up when it mattered, which was for the USA outdoor championship meet.

Overall during her college career, Saunders has overcome many obstacles. During her freshman season, she tore her ACL and had to redshirt. She also lost her grandfather that year, with whom she lived in high school along with her grandmother. The following year, she came back stronger and progressed every year since then.

Last year, she came very close to claiming an Olympic berth on Team USA, placing one spot off the team by an inch and three-quarters. In total, she is a 12-time All-American (six in long jump, four in triple jump and two in 4x400m relay). She is also a two-time SEC Champion for the indoor long jump, including 2015 and 2017.