Taliyah Brooks

Leadercast 2025 Host and Team USA Olympic Athlete

Taliyah Brooks is an accomplished American heptathlete who has risen to national and international prominence through her dedication and resilience. A graduate of S.H. Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas, Brooks competed at the collegiate level for the University of Arkansas, where she won the NCAA Division I pentathlon title in 2018 after two consecutive years as runner-up.

Brooks’ career has been marked by remarkable achievements and perseverance. In 2021, she competed in the Olympic Trials for Track & Field in Eugene, Oregon, where she was positioned second in the heptathlon before extreme temperatures led her to collapse from heat exhaustion, requiring hospitalization. Following this event, she filed a lawsuit against USA Track & Field (USATF) to address athlete safety standards in extreme conditions.

In May 2023, Brooks set a new personal best of 6,330 points in Desenzano del Garda, Italy, which helped secure her a place on the U.S. team for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. In 2024, she competed again at the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials, achieving a career-best score of 6,408 points and finishing third to earn a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Competing on the world stage, Brooks placed eleventh overall in the Olympic heptathlon event.

Brooks’ journey is a testament to resilience, pushing boundaries, and striving for excellence in the face of adversity, making her an inspiring figure in the world of athletics.