Tori Bowie was a star athlete, who was well known for her excellence in sprinting and long leaping. Raised by her grandma whose most important rule was, “When you start something, you don’t Quit.” She keyed onto those words and became the courageous and determined athlete we all knew her to be. She never let go of her dreams and acquired a stack of honors as a reward for her hard work.
She won her first bronze medal in the women’s 200-meter race, followed by a silver medal in the women’s 100-meter race, and excitingly a gold medal in the women’s 4×100-meter relay in the Olympic Games in 2016. Making her one of the most loved American track athletes.
Follow the story and be inspired by a multi-talented athlete who earned all her flowers through her hard work and strength.
Early Life
Tori Bowie was born on the 27th of August 1990, in Sand Hill, Rankin County, Mississippi to Bobbie Dennis Smith and Dennis Smith. However, shortly after she was put into foster care alongside her sister, by her mom at just the age of two.
Her grandmother found them, got custody of them, and raised them to be hardworking and determined girls with proper work ethics.
Tori insisted she owed all her success to her “She would never let me give up anything” she stated and was always thankful for the virtues she learned growing up with her.
As Tori Bowie became a professional athlete, she established a worldwide reputation as a go-getter that stuck with her throughout her career.
Beginning/Club Career
The Pisgah High School was where she began competing in track, basketball, and track. From the early stages, there was no doubt about Bowie’s talent as she excelled in all sports. In junior high, she won the Mississippi state high school championship in the 100 m and the long jump in 2007. When she became a senior, she won state championships in the 100 m, 200 m, and long jump in 2008. She went on to win three state titles in the 4 x 100 m relay and also competed in the state team women’s basketball.
No surprise when she was honored with an athletic scholarship to study interdisciplinary studies in psychology and social work, at the University of Southern Mississippi. She went on to compete for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles. Her greatest performance in the long jump was during her freshman year. She finished third in the Conference USA indoors and second in the Conference USA outdoors.
Her remarkable performance qualified her for the NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where she jumped in qualifying only.
During her second year of studious competitions, she set her indoor best of 6.23 m, 20 ft 5+1⁄4 in the long jump and became the Conference USA indoor runner-up. At the Outdoor Conference USA meet, she came in third place in the long jump as well as making it to the 100 m final.
She was sixth in the long jump at the NCAA outdoor championship with a mark of 6.26 m (20 ft 6+1⁄4 in) in that meet. Not stopping her, she jumped nationally at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships coming in eighth place overall.
Career Statistics
In 2011, Tori Bowie won both of her two collegiate national titles. The long jump she won at the Conference USA indoor championship, she also emerged the runner-up in the triple jump. The jump of 6.52 m 21 ft 4+1⁄2 in was enough for her to win her first college title in the long jump, at the NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships.
She came second in both horizontal jumps at the Conference USA Outdoors and won the NCAA outdoor long jump title with another school record mark of 6.64 m (21 ft 9+1⁄4 in). She was named the conference female athlete of the year for all her achievements.
Moreover, she began her second year at the University of Southern Mississippi by winning the triple jump at the Conference USA indoor finals. The Olympian tried to set a new personal best of 13.09 meters.
She however improved that year from 11.76 to 11.28 seconds in the 100-meter dash on the track.
Hoping to defend her NCAA outdoor long jump championship during her final major appearance with the Southern Miss Eagles but was defeated by Whitney Gipson and came second.
In 2013, Tori Bowie’s career in track and field went professional, during the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. She became a semi-finalist in the 100 meters and finished fourth in the long jump at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics.
IAAF Diamond League
She also participated in the IAAF Diamond League for the first time. Following that she competed in long jumping at the Adidas Grand Prix and Herculis meets.
By the 2014 season, Tori Bowie had improved drastically. She established an indoor record of 60 m sprint in 7.14 seconds and a long jump of 6.95 m In Naperville.
This led her to qualify for the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships as well as her victory in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.
The young Olympian also finished second in the long jump at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Unfortunately, she struggled to qualify and was and was knocked out, after finishing 14th overall.
However at the IAAF Diamond League Championship in June 2014, she established two new personal marks in the 100 m dash as well as 200 m dash competitions.
With a time record of 11.07 seconds, Bowie emerged the winner of the BMW Women’s 100 m event. She also set the fastest time in the semifinal of the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a 10.91.
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Important Events
Following her victory at the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she earned a place in the 2015 World Championships in Athletics Women’s 100 meters. During preparations for the 2016 United States Olympic Trials of track & field, she finished in third place in the 100 m by running a 10.779.
Tori finished second place in the 100-meter dash, at the 2016 Summer Olympics, with the clock time of 10.83 seconds.
She also won the bronze medal in the 200-meter dash in 22.15 seconds. As a member of the 4100 m relay team, she also earned a gold medal.
She went on to win the gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, clocking a timing of 10.85 seconds with a .01-second margin of victory.
Bowie set the entrance standard for the World Championships, on April 27, 2019, by jumping 6.78 m at the BYU Robison Invitational on Clarence Robison Track at Brigham Young University.
Personality
Before being known as a three-time Olympic medalist, she earned the title of the world’s fastest woman. Known for her resilience, Tori insisted she drew her strength from her small hometown Sand Hill, in Mississippi.
Before she was to make her Olympic debut as part of the U.S. sprinting team, she stopped to visit her high school, teachers, and staff. Her community took such pride in Bowie, that it was easy to see why she had so much belief and confidence in herself, she had a crowd of people that equally backed and believed in her. That’s why she could never quit.
Personal Life
Tori Bowie spent her childhood in Mississippi and was active in three different sports growing up. In high school, she was known for her excellence in sprinting as she stood out in track and field competitions.
Bowie continued to indulge in track and field after gaining a scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi. She succeeded in keeping her personal life separate from her career. Even with all her reports and interviews, no one has provided intimate details of her life, family, or personal relationships.
Honours
Gold medal in 4X100 m relays at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Silver medal in 100 m at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Bronze medal in 200 m at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Gold medal in 100 m at the 2017 London World Championships.
Gold medal in 4*100 m relays at the 2017 London World Championships.
Bronze medal in 100 m at the 2015 Beijing World Championships
Legacy
Tori Bowie’s legacy will continuously live on in the sports world. The athlete was not only talented, she was beautiful and compassionate and went on to show the world what true hard work and determination could get you.
She was a beloved athlete who would have gone on to excel in life till her old age, it was unfortunate we could not get to witness her greatness long enough, her early death shook the track world, especially when she died in childbirth, we can’t stop of ourselves from mourning the lost of not one but what
would have been two great athletes.
Evidence of Bowie’s legacy remains as she won three medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio: gold in the 4x100m relay, silver in the 100 meters, and bronze in the 200 meters. At the 2017 World Championships, she won gold in both the 100 meters and the 4x100m.
A native of Sandhill, Mississippi, Tori Bowie was a three-time All-American at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Bowie’s last official competition was in June 2022. Her last appearance on the world stage was in 2019 at the world championships in Doha, when she finished fourth in the long jump.
Tori Bowie Death
Torie Bowie the three-time Olympic medalist was found dead in bed on May 2, according to the report. She was eight months pregnant, and there was evidence she had been in labor.
Her death was ruled natural, and the report stated that there had been “possible complications,” including “respiratory distress and eclampsia.” She was 32 years old.
