The delayed Tokyo Olympics that were supposed to start last year are finally happening. With the start of the games, many athletes have written history and won medals for their country.
But there are also some athletes for whom it was not their day. Despite giving their all, they somehow could not get the medals for their country. One of those much-anticipated athletes who could not achieve their dream in the ongoing Olympics is Quanesha Burks.
Quanesha Burks is an All-American track and field athlete who holds the record of being the first women champion from the Alabama state in the long jump. She has represented the USA internationally on more than one occasion.
However, this was the first time Burks represented the USA in the Olympics. She dreamed of winning a medal for her country but could not make her dream come true. She can not be in the final game as she came in fifth place during the semi-finals.
Biography & Wiki
| Popular Name | Quanesha Burks |
| Real Name | Quanesha Burks |
| Date of birth | March 15, 1995 |
| Age | 29 years old |
| Place of birth | Ozak, Alabama |
| Father | Not disclosed |
| Mother | Lesha Dobbins |
| Grandparents | Fred Williams and Cathy Williams |
| Siblings | Four |
| Brothers | Not disclosed |
| Sisters | Not disclosed |
| Status | Single |
| Occupation | Professional long jumper |
| Net worth | Unknown |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac | Pisces |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Measurement | Unknown |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Black |
| Complexion | Dark |
| Instagram id | q_burks |
| strongbeliverQ |
Quanesha Burks Net Worth, Salary, and Earnings
Burks used to work as an employee in McDonald’s ever since she was seventeen years old. While working there, she made 100 USD every two weeks.
However, this all changed when she became a professional athlete. She does not work in McDonald’s anymore. Though she has not shared the exact figures, she still has a hefty net worth.
Height, Weight, and Physical Measurements
Though Burks has won over them in many competitions, she still is shorter than many of them.
She is just 5 ft and 3 inches tall and has a petite but toned body. Despite having a smaller height, she uses it as an advantage rather than a disadvantage. Her shortness and small body make her more swift doing her jumps.
Quanesha’s Family, Parents, and Life
The 29 year-old jumper was born in Ozark but grew up in Hartselle along with her two younger brothers and two younger sisters.
Her grandmother, who works at the local nursing home, raised her and her siblings. Her grandmother took her and her siblings in and did everything to raise them.
Besides her grandmother, she was also close to her grandfather. She considered him as the father figure in her life. However, he passed away in 2019.
Burks had a difficult life before the start of her athletic career. Though her grandmother did her best, it was hard to raise five children on her own.
Burks used to work in McDonald’s when she was just seventeen. Her day used to start at 4.30 am. She used to take her grandmother to work early in the morning. After dropping her grandmother, she took her younger sibling to their school and then go to her classes.
After school, she used to stay for practice before going to her work. She would work till 10 pm during weekdays and take the morning shifts during weekends.
She had a hard life, but she never gave up. Instead, she worked hard every day to support her family.
She worked like this until she noticed that her friends were getting into sports for the sake of scholarship. She started looking into it and even noted down the criteria needed for a scholarship.
At the same time, one of her friends encouraged her to compete in sprints and jumps during the track season. She started taking part in the games and has not looked back to this day.
Due to her excellent performance, Burks got a lot of offers from many colleges. Even the coaches from universities used to call her.
However, it was Miguel Pate, the coach of the University of Alabama, who convinced her. He sat her down and took help from her counselor and high school coach to recruit her for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
She was the first one in her family to go to college. She left her old life behind and started life as an athlete.
She played four years for the Tide before going pro. Now, she is one of the star track and field athletes who even got a chance to be in the Olympics.
Quanesha Burks Boyfriend and Relationship
The long jump athlete has not shared anything about her love life. So, people are still not sure if she is single or seeing someone.
However, the fun pictures with her friends that she posts on her social media suggest that she is happily single.
Education
Burks went to Hartselle High school in Hartselle in Alabama, where she got her high school degree.
Once high school was over, she enrolled at the University of Alabama and played for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Her Career and Olympics
The eleven-time title holder initially started her journey in track and field because she wanted a college scholarship.
But once she started, she fell in love with the sport itself. While still in high school, she took part in the state championship and won three games.
She even took part in the National Junior Olympic organized by USATF and won. It was just the starting as she even went to win the State Championship in the long jump, 4×100 m relay, and 100 m- dash in 2013.
She then took part in the World Junior Championship in 2014, which was her first international game. She came fifth but showed an excellent performance.
After having a great career in high school, she enrolled at the University of Alabama. She got her first college win during the Indoor Track and field championship organized by NCAA. She not only won the game but also set a record of 6.93 m.
She continued her career and even went on to win the NACAC U23 athletic championship.
She was unstoppable by this time. She was taking part in many championships and winning medals until 2018 when her performances started getting bad.
This phase continued for a few years before she made her comeback by winning the US Indoor Championship in 2020.
However, due to the pandemic, she couldn’t take part in more games that year. But she didn’t let the year go to waste.
She trained and trained until she got a bone bruise in her femur. She had to stop running or jumping for at least eleven weeks.
After taking a rest, she made her comeback in the US Olympic trial games and qualified by securing the third position in the game.
She finally flew to Tokyo to compete and win gold. Despite her determination, she came in fifth in the semi-final and lost her chance to win the gold.
Another popular athlete Marquis Dendy was also selected for the Olympics in the long jump.
