The Memoir Of Ms. Butterfly

Born on August 27, 1990, in Sand Hill, Rankin County, Mississippi, she attended Pisgah High School and began competing in track. As a junior in 2007, Bowie won Mississippi state high school championships in the 100 m and the long jump; as a senior in 2008, she won state championships in the 100 m, 200 m, and long jump. She also won three state titles in the 4 × 100 m relay and competed on the state team in women’s basketball. Bowie earned an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Southern Mississippi for an interdisciplinary psychology and social work degree. She represented the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles in NCAA Division I competitions. Doing both sprints and jumps, she had her best results in the long jump during her freshman year, coming third at the Conference U.S.A. indoors, second at the Conference U.S.A. outdoors, and reaching the NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship, where she jumped in qualifying only.

In her second year of collegiate competition, she set an indoor best of 6.23 m (20 ft 5+1⁄4 in) in the long jump and was the Conference U.S.A. indoor runner-up. In addition, she came third in the long jump at the Outdoor Conference U.S.A. meet and made the 100 m final.

 She finished sixth in the long jump at the NCAA outdoor championship with a mark of 6.26 m (20 ft 6+1⁄4 in) in that meet. She also jumped nationally at the 2010 U.S.A. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, managing eighth place overall.

 During her junior year in 2011, Bowie won two collegiate national titles. She won the long jump at the Conference U.S.A. indoor championship and was runner-up in the triple jump. A leap of 6.52 m (21 ft 4+1⁄2 in) was enough to win Bowie her first college title in the long jump at the NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships – this was also a school record mark. She was second in horizontal jumps at the Conference U.S.A. Outdoors won the NCAA outdoor long jump title with another school record mark of 6.64 m (21 ft 9+1⁄4 in). She was named the conference female athlete of the year for her achievements.

In her final year of college at the University of Southern Mississippi, she began with a triple jump win at the Conference U.S.A. indoor championships with a mark of 13.09 m (42 ft 11+1⁄4 in), a personal record for the event.

 She also managed second place in the long jump. Bowie competed in both jumps at the NCAA indoor championship but was out of the top eight in both events. Outdoors, she significantly improved her 100 m best that year, dropping from 11.76 to 11.28 seconds.

 At the Conference U.S.A. outdoor championship meet, she finished first in the long jump with a new school record of 6.78 m (22 ft 2+3⁄4 in), as well as third in the 100 m, fifth in the triple jump, and seventh in the 4 × 100 m relay. In her last major outing for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, she tried to defend her NCAA outdoor title in the long jump, but Whitney Gipson beat her and finished second.

Bowie began competing in track and field professionally in 2013. At the USATF Championships that year, she was a 100 m semi-finalist and narrowly missed the extended jump team for the Moscow World Championships after finishing fourth.

 She also competed on the Diamond League circuit for the first time, long jumping at the Adidas Grand Prix and Herculis meets. Bowie continued to improve at the start of 2014.

She jumped 6.95 m (22 ft 9+1⁄2 in) in Naperville, Illinois, won the long jump at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, and set an indoor best of 7.14 seconds in the 60 m dash for second at the Millrose Games in New York.

Her runner-up finish in the long jump at the USATF Indoor Championships gained Bowie a spot on the team for the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland. Unfortunately, she faltered in the qualifying and was eliminated, coming 14th overall.

In May 2014, she won her first Diamond League race with a 200 m victory at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. To everyone’s surprise, she outsprinted Blessing Okagbare and the renowned Allyson Felix with a time of 22.18 s. Bowie then claimed wins in the 100 m races at the Rome, New York, and Monaco Diamond League meet, clocking a swift 10.80 seconds at the latter.

Finally, Bowie won the 100 m with a time of 10.81 s at the 2015 USATF Championships (windy 10.72 s in the semifinals) to earn a spot for the Beijing World Championships in Athletics, where she went on to take the bronze medal in a time of 10.86 s.

The following year, at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, she placed third in the 100 m with a time of 10.78 seconds. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Bowie won the silver medal in the 100 m event with a time of 10.83 s. She then earned bronze in the 200 m, clocking 22.15 s.

She added the gold medal as a member of the women’s 4 × 100 m relay team. At the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, Bowie won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash, achieving a time of 10.85 seconds, with a .01 second margin of victory. In April 2019, at the Robison Invitational in Provo, Utah, Bowie jumped the entry standard for the Doha World Championships in Qatar with a leap of 6.78 m (22 ft 2+3⁄4 in). She finished fourth in Doha, jumping 6.81 m (22 ft 4 in) in the final.

Tori Bowie’s father’s name is Dennis Smith. She had a sister named Tamarra, 11 months younger than her.

Tamarra, an athlete in her school days, founded a law firm named Bowie Law Firm L.L.C., where she is an attorney.

 Tamarra is married and has a son named Grant. When Tori was 2 years old, she, along with her sister, was left in foster care by her parents.

Later, her grandmother, Bobbie Smith, took their legal custody and raised Tori and Tamarra.

 Tori used to address her grandmother as her ‘mama’ and often visited Smith’s home in the rural Rankin County unincorporated township of Sandhill. In an interview, while talking about her grandmother, Tori said,

My grandmother has been a role model in my life. She ended up fighting for us and got custody of us. We didn’t have much, but something she did give was a character.”

Tori Bowie (1990-2023) was an American sprinter and long jumper who mainly participated in the long jump, 100-meter, and 200-meter events. One of the fastest women in the world, Tori was a three-time Olympic medalist and a two-time world champion in track and field. She died at the age of 32 at her home in Florida. Her death was confirmed in a statement on May 3, 2023, by U.S.A. Track and Field. 

Tori Bowie, also known as Frentorish Tori Bowie] was born on Monday, August 27, 1990 (age 32 years; at the time of death), in Sand Hill, Rankin County, Mississippi, U.S. She grew up in rural Mississippi, attending Pisgah High School, where she competed in multiple sports. In an interview, while sharing a childhood memory, she said,

I remember racing everywhere as a child, like in the trees, wherever … I ran all the time.

In 2007, Tori competed in the 100 m and the long jump events in the Mississippi state high school championships and emerged as a winner. A year later, she won state championships in the 100 m, 200 m, and long jump.

She competed in 100 m and 200 m races in school a dozen times. Besides being an athlete, Tori was also a Basketball star in her school days. Tori enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi after securing an athletic scholarship.

 She pursued an interdisciplinary degree in psychology and social work at the University. She competed for Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles in NCAA Division I competitions and swept the long jump NCAA championships at indoor and outdoor events 2011.

Tori Bowie’s father’s name is Dennis Smith. She had a sister named Tamarra, 11 months younger than her.

Tamarra, an athlete in her school days, founded a law firm named Bowie Law Firm L.L.C., where she is an attorney.

 Tamarra is married and has a son named Grant. When Tori was 2 years old, she, along with her sister, was left in foster care by her parents. Later, her grandmother, Bobbie Smith, took their legal custody and raised Tori and Tamarra.

 Tori used to address her grandmother as her ‘mama’ and often visited Smith’s home in the rural Rankin County unincorporated township of Sandhill. In an interview, while talking about her grandmother, Tori said,

My grandmother has been a role model in my life. She ended up fighting for us and got custody of us. Of course, we only had a little, but something she did give was a character.

Tori Bowie with her sister, Tamarra

Tori Bowie with her grandmother, Bobbie Smith

Tori Bowie (back left) pictured with her grandmother, Bobbie Smith (front left), father Dennis Smith (front right), Pisgah track and field coach Angela Reynolds (Back right), and Southwest Mississippi coach Charlie

Tori Bowie started her career as a professional track and field athlete in 2013. She competed in the 2013 U.S.A. Outdoor Track and Field Championships and finished as a 100 m semi-finalist. She also participated in the long jump event of the championship and finished fourth, failing to secure her position in the extended jump team for the 2013 World Championships in Athletics.

 Subsequently, she competed in long jump events at the Adidas Grand Prix and Herculis meets.

Finally, in 2014, she competed on the IAAF Diamond League circuit for the first time, participating in 100 meters and 200 meters events.

Tori Bowie during an event

Following her graduation in 2014, Tori concentrated on sprinting and distanced herself from long jump events. However, she continued to enhance her performance, setting indoor bests of 7.14 seconds for the 60 m dash and clearing 6.95 m (22 ft 9+1⁄2 in) for the long jump in Naperville, Illinois, in 2014.

Subsequently, she came out as a winner at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

 She finished second in the long jump at the U.S.A. Indoor Track and Field Championships, securing her a place in the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships team.

However, she changed her mind in the qualifying round and was eliminated from the championship, securing rank 14. Soon, she competed in the Adidas Grand Prix event in Randall’s Island, New York.

 She stood first in the BMW Women’s 100 m race at 11.07 seconds. Two years later, in Rio, she stood second to Elaine Thompson in a time of 10.83 seconds, preventing a Jamaican clean sweep of the 100m medals. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was placed third in the race.

 Tori Bowie during a Track and Field event Tori also bagged a bronze in the 200 m event at the Olympics. In the 4×100 m team challenge, Tori ran the anchor leg with her teammates Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, and English Gardner.

 They won Gold with their electric performance at the event. Then, a year later, she won Gold in the 100-meter race at the IAAF World Championships in London while retaining Gold for the U.S. in the 100-meter relay.

Tori Bowie died at the age of 32 at her home in Florida. Her death was announced on May 3, 2023, via a tweet and an Instagram post by her management company, Icon Management Inc., and U.S. Track and Field.

Icon Management Inc. wrote in a bar, We’re devasted [sic] to share the unfortunate news that Tori Bowie has passed away. We’ve lost a client, dear friend, daughter, and sister.

Tori was a champion…a beacon of light that shined so bright! We’re heartbroken, and our prayers are with the family, friends, and everyone who loved her.

The details surrounding the death of Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie were announced on Wednesday, hours after her management team revealed she had died at 32.

No cause of death was given. However, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said deputies responded Tuesday afternoon to a home in the Orlando area “for a well-being check of a woman in her 30s who had not been seen or heard from in several days.

Ms. Butterfly Genesis