GUARDIAN ANGEL

Olympian Raven Saunders’ Mom Dies Days After Silver Medal Win

“My mama was a great woman and will forever live through me,” Saunders wrote on social media after the news of her mother’s death became public.

A few days after her silver medal win—and controversial protest—at the Tokyo Olympics, track-and-field star Raven Saunders’ mother, Clarissa Saunders, died. “My mama was a great woman and will forever live through me,” posted Saunders on social media after the news of her mother’s death was confirmed by her coach, Herbert Johnson. “My number one guardian angel…I will always and forever love you.” Clarissa Saunders was in Orlando, Florida, for an Olympic watch party at the time of her passing. People who knew the Saunders family said Clarissa was a big supporter of her daughter, working at Krispy Kreme for years and raising money with help from the store and customers to send Raven to Rio for her first Olympics in 2016. Krispy Kreme also raised money to send Clarissa and her other daughter, Tanzania, to the Rio Games to surprise Raven. At the time, Saunders said seeing her mother meant that her hard work had paid off.