Face Behind the Cover: Shafiqua Maloney
by Karen Rollins Feb 3, 2025

Our 2024 / 2025 front cover star is Olympic middle-distance runner Shafiqua Maloney.
Shafiqua was born in Richland Park, Charlotte in February 1999 to Dale Ottley and Jessica Maloney. Her father is self-employed, and her mother works on a cruise ship. She has two younger siblings.
Shafiqua’s journey to becoming a professional athlete started when she was just 11 years old. She showed promise on the track and secured an athletics scholarship to Southern Illinois University where she studied geography and environmental resources from 2016-2017. She moved to the University of Arkansas in 2018 and graduated with a master’s degree in 2022.
At the start of 2024, Shafiqua went unbeaten indoors in three 800 metres races. She currently holds the 800m national indoor and outdoor records for SVG and has represented her country in the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
In February 2024, Shafiqua smashed her national record in the 800 metres with a time of 1:58.69. This was the first time a Vincentian female athlete finished an 800m in under two minutes and her victory surpassed the 2024 Paris Olympic Games entry standard of 1:59.30. She also made the Olympic standard for the 400m but chose to only compete in the 800m.
Shafiqua has shared during media interviews how difficult it has been to maintain her professional athletics career since her US student visa expired. She has become reliant on individual donations and support from sponsors but has remained dedicated to her goals.
Shafiqua is a shining example of what continuous hard work and determination can achieve.