Veronica Campbell Brown, a former NCAA track champion with the Razorbacks and Olympic gold medalist with Jamaica, is set to receive an honorary degree from the University of Arkansas during the all-university commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13th at 8:30 a.m. in Bud Walton Arena.
As an alumna of the U of A, Campbell Brown previously graduated from the Sam M. Walton College of Business in 2006 with a degree in business administration. During her time at the university, she won the 200-meter sprint at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships, setting a new collegiate record and earning All American accolades.
Campbell Brown’s outstanding athletic career spanned over two decades, where she dominated sprints at the international level, collecting 21 medals across five Olympic Games and seven World Championships. She started her career with gold medals at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 1999 and then became the first woman to win both the 100- and 200-meter sprints the next year at the World Juniors.
At only 18 years of age, Campbell Brown joined Jamaica’s 4x100-meter relay team for the 2000 Olympics, and they won the silver medal. A track scholarship to Barton County Community College in Kansas brought her to the United States, where she won four national junior titles. Upon finishing her associate degree at Barton, Campbell Brown transferred to the U of A where she continued to excel in both academics and athletics.
While continuing her classwork as a marketing major in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, Campbell Brown turned professional and continued to dominate on the world stage. She was the first woman from the Caribbean to win a sprint title at the Olympics and the first woman to win the 100-meter title across the board in the World Youth Championships, World Junior Championships, the World Championships, and the Olympic Games.
Campbell Brown’s achievements in the sport are impressive, but her post-athletic career is equally noteworthy. She is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, philanthropist, mother of two, and former UNESCO ambassador. She chairs the Veronica Campbell Brown Foundation, which she founded with the core mission of assisting young girls who are unrepresented and lacking the necessary resources to obtain a high school education.
Campbell Brown is also the founder of VCB FIT, an online activewear brand that aims to provide women with functional products and inspire them to maintain healthy and active lifestyles. She provides strategies for corporate and university teams, as well as individuals to help them cope with stress in her virtual talks. As a UNESCO Champion for Sport Ambassador, she actively promotes gender mainstreaming for women.
Campbell Brown has also published two inspirational books on achieving fulfillment. Her achievements both on and off the track are truly remarkable, and it’s an honor for the University of Arkansas to award her an honorary degree. Congratulations to Veronica Campbell Brown, a true inspiration to us all.