She was a track star, now she’s a feminist icon… and yes, she’s still a track star.
Amy Hunt first made headlines not just for her incredible speed on the track, but for the words she spoke immediately after winning silver at the World Championships. In a whirlwind of adrenaline, Hunt unapologetically announced who she really is. The kicker? She didn’t even plan to make such a statement, which only makes it more iconic.
From shattering records to breaking stereotypes, Hunt proves that you can be fiercely competitive, wildly ambitious, and unapologetically yourself all at once. Here’s everything you need to know about Amy Hunt and why she’s officially landing on our must-watch list of feminist legends.
Today – and every day – the women fighting for a safer future deserve their flowers.
Who is Amy Hunt?
Amy Hunt is a British sprinter who’s rapidly becoming one of the UK’s brightest athletic stars. She won silver in the 4x100m at the 2024 Summer Olympics and followed it up with silver in the 200m at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. At just 23, she also holds the world record for the women’s under-18 200 metres, clocking an astonishing 22.42s in June 2019.
Off the track, Amy is equally impressive. She earned an undergraduate degree in English from Cambridge University, though her tutors weren’t always the most supportive of her sprinting ambitions.
Amy first caught the public eye as a junior athlete when she shattered the under-18 200m world record, immediately marking her as one of Britain’s most exciting sprinting prospects in years. Yet, as many promising careers have shown, the leap from junior sensation to senior global medallist is far from guaranteed.
Her transition to senior athletics faced serious hurdles: the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted training schedules, and a ruptured quadriceps in early 2022 threatened to derail her progress entirely. But Amy proved her resilience, and when she finally hit the senior stage, she did so with a splash.
Why did Amy Hunt go viral?
Amy Hunt’s viral moment came when she crossed the finish line to claim her 200m world silver in Tokyo. When the BBC asked her about her unlikely journey from an English degree at Cambridge University to a shock 200m world championship medal, Hunt quipped, “You can be an academic badass and a track goddess.” Cue TikTok erupting.
She’s since revealed the comment was entirely off-the-cuff. “As soon as I said it, I was like: ‘Oh my gosh, I’m on the BBC, can I even say that? Are they going to bleep that out?’” she joked. “I was so incredibly high on adrenaline and endorphins that my brain and mouth weren’t exactly synced — I didn’t really know what I was saying.”
Regardless, the impact was immediate. Her words resonated far beyond the track, inspiring sporty 16- and 17-year-olds to reach for Oxbridge. “There are so many girls messaging me every single day,” she says. “I’ll always say, just give me a call, because the interview is unlike anything else you’ll ever do.”
Hunt has already helped a few girls fulfil their dreams of getting into Cambridge, and she hopes to create a track-and-field equivalent of Stormzy’s Merky scholarships, which fund tuition and living costs for Black students at Cambridge. For now, though, her eyes are firmly on the track — she’s determined to become “an icon” in sprinting over the next decade.
The accidental icon
Six months on, Hunt hasn’t stopped dishing out that signature blend of wit and wisdom. More recently, she spoke to The Guardian about the abuse she’s faced as a rising star in the public eye.
“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions,” Hunt explained. “So in the least cocky way possible, my opinion is the only one that matters. I don’t really care what someone online has to say about my starts.”
Traditionally, athletes — especially women — are encouraged to stay quiet, demure and modest. Boasting or showing ambition is often frowned upon. Hunt, however, is a refreshing departure from that mould.
“All of the sprinting greats aren’t afraid to put themselves in positions where they’re maybe not the favourite to win,” she says. “I would love to step up to the 400m. I look at people like Allyson Felix, who excelled across the board, dominating every event she entered, including the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. That versatility, that ambition — that’s what I want to emulate.”
Why do Amy Hunt's comments matter so much?
Amy Hunt is the kind of inspiration we need right now — fearless, unapologetic, and ambitious — for so many reasons. She’s unafraid to want things, to put herself out there, and to embrace her goals publicly. As women, we’re often told not to want, not to need, to stay passive. Hunt reminds us it’s okay to be ambitious, to reach for more, even if the outcome isn’t guaranteed. Maybe we won’t be Olympic athletes, but we’ll dare to post that TikTok, pitch that idea, or go for that promotion.
Beyond ambition, Hunt challenges the pressure to fit into a single box. Society often expects us to pick one identity and stick to it, but Hunt effortlessly embodies two: an academic badass and a track goddess. For the rest of us, it might mean refusing to let motherhood define us entirely, balancing creativity with analytical thinking, or being both a feminist and a “princess” in our relationships. She reminds us that embracing multiple sides of ourselves isn’t just possible, it’s powerful.
Brb uploading her to my manicure Pinterest board immediately.
