Olympian Novlene Williams-Mills grew up in St. Ann, Jamaica, and running has always been her passion. During an interview, Novlene recounts “Her mom used to send her to the store, and I was always running because she would always tell us to make sure we hurry and get back as fast as we can.” Those words fueled her passion for running and never left her. She ran track in primary school and Ferncourt High School where she became a track and field standout. While in high school, Novlene excelled in the 400-meter and 4×400-meter relay events. Her incredible times were so outstanding that she was recommended for a track and field scholarship at Essex County College.  

 In the Spring of 2001, Novlene continued to compete in the 400-meter and 4 x 400-meter relay outdoor and indoor events for Essex. She recalls, “The biggest thing is when you go to a track meet, there were only certain spots for each event. You have a couple of other ladies on the team that were running the same event. So, I know that for me to be selected to participate in events and be out there running, I knew that I must show up in practice, be good, be disciplined, work hard, give 110%, and compete with my teammates.” So, under the charge of the late Head Track and Field Coach Michael Smart, Novlene focused her time and attention on improving her individual 400 meters and team 4 x 400 performance to help Essex place or win at Garden State Athletic Conference and Region XIX track meets and earn All American accolades. Her competitive times in her events were noteworthy and earned her a full track and field scholarship to the University of Florida in 2004.  She relayed, “Coach Smart gave me that opportunity to move on”. 

During her first year at the University of Florida, she was awarded Runner of the Year and contributed to the team’s indoor and outdoor 2004 Southeast Conference Women’s Track and Field championships. In addition, she earned a spot on the 2004 Jamaica Women’s Olympic Track and Field team, where she earned a bronze medal in the 4 x 400-meter relay. Over the next three years, Novlene continued to run, earning a silver medal in 2005 and 2007 in the 4 x 400 for Jamaica and earning a place on the 2008 Jamaica Women’s Track and Field Olympic team.  

During the 2008 Olympics, Novlene won the silver medal being a part of the Jamaican women’s 4 x 400-meter relay. She continued to train in preparation for the next track challenge which came in the 2009 World Athletics Championship where her team once again won the silver medal in the 4 x 400-meter relay. Afterward, she continued to train, setting her sights on the next Olympic games in 2012.  

During her preparation for the 2012 Olympic games, Novlene was diagnosed with breast cancer. During an interview, Novlene said “I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. At the time, I had so many questions, but failure wasn’t an option. As crazy as it may seem, I was still determined to compete in the Olympics and bring home a gold medal for Jamaica.” Her doctors cleared her to compete, which she did, winning a silver medal in the 4 x 400-meter relay. After her recovery from breast cancer, Novlene continued to train, earning her spot on the 2016 Jamaican team which again won the silver medal in the 4 x 400-meter relay. Novlene ran this race with a purpose. She states, “I ran to let people know that, sometimes we go through a life situation, but it doesn’t have to define who we are, and we can always rise above it.” 

Novlene, a four-time Olympic medalist, retired in 2017 and she and her husband are raising their family. She works as a personal trainer for Livestrong at the YMCA, a 12-week physical activity program designed to help cancer survivors regain their strength and well-being through exercise and a supportive community. Reflecting on her career Novlene said, “Essex gave me the foundation…I don’t know if without Essex there would’ve been the Novlene Williams-Mills that represented Jamaica four times at the Olympics or done so many great things on the track.”