Gwendolyn Denise Berry, born June 29, 1989, is an American track and field athlete. She specializes in the hammer throw and has represented the United States at two Olympic Games. Beyond her throws, Berry became known nationwide for her protests against racial injustice.
Who is Gwen Berry?
Gwen Berry, according to her Wikipedia profile, is an American hammer thrower and a two-time Olympian, competing at the 2016 Rio Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games. She holds the world record in the weight throw, with a mark of 25.60 meters set in March 2017.
Berry’s personal best in the hammer throw, 77.78 meters, ranks among the best marks in American history. She set that distance on June 8, 2018.
Beyond competition, Berry became a prominent voice for social justice in track and field. Her raised fist on the podium at the 2019 Pan American Games drew national attention and reshaped Olympic protest rules.
She now works as an assistant coach at Tennessee State University. Berry joined the program’s track and field staff in September 2022.
Early Life of Gwen Berry
Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Michael Berry and Laura Hayes. She grew up in Florissant, Missouri, and attended McCluer High School, where she first competed as a basketball player.
She picked up track during the off-season, competing in the triple jump throughout high school. That early exposure to track eventually pointed her toward a different event entirely.
Berry has two brothers, Davon and Michael, and a sister named Quincy. Her father, Michael Berry, served in the military and was deployed to Iraq in 2004.
Family shaped much of her early motivation. Berry has said her father’s teachings about Black history influenced how she later approached activism in her sport.
Gwen Berry Age
Gwen Berry is 37 years old as of 2026, born on June 29, 1989. Her zodiac sign is Cancer.
She competed in her first Olympics at 26, representing the United States at the 2016 Rio Games. By the time she reached her second Olympics in Tokyo, Berry was 32 years old.
Gwen Berry Ethnicity and Nationality
Berry holds American nationality and was born and raised in Missouri. She is African American.
Her identity has shaped much of her public activism throughout her career. Berry has spoken often about her father’s efforts to teach her Black history from a young age.
That upbringing carried directly into her adult life. Berry has described her protests on Olympic podiums as an extension of lessons she learned at home.
Gwen Berry Height and Weight
Reliable, consistently verified figures for Berry’s exact height and weight are not publicly confirmed. Different outlets list varying numbers without a shared, dependable source.
What is well documented is her physical power in the throwing circle. Berry’s hammer and weight throw marks rank among the best in American history for her event.
Gwen Berry Education
Berry attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale beginning in 2007, where she studied psychology with a minor in criminal justice. She competed for the Southern Illinois Salukis track and field team throughout her college career.
She graduated in 2011. Her time at Southern Illinois marked her full transition from a high school triple jumper into a nationally ranked thrower.
Berry has continued her education well beyond college. She later earned a Master of Public Health degree and became a National Basketball Association HBCU Fellow, based on her own social media profile.
Gwen Berry Personal Life
Berry became pregnant with her son, Derrick, at age 15 and gave birth three days after her fifteenth birthday. She has raised him largely as a single parent, with support from her extended family.
She has said the experience pushed her to work harder in her sport rather than slow her down. Berry has spoken about Derrick publicly on several occasions, though she has not disclosed his father’s identity.
As of 2026, Berry has not confirmed a husband or public partner. She has kept her dating life private throughout her career.
Questions about Berry’s gender identity have circulated online for years, largely tied to her build and her outspoken activism. No reliable source has reported Berry as transgender, and every verified record of her, including Olympic and collegiate documentation, lists her as female and as a competitor in the women’s hammer throw and weight throw.
Gwen Berry Career
College Career
Berry joined the Southern Illinois Salukis in 2007 after starting her hammer throw career off a foundation in triple jump and shot put. She placed fourth in the hammer throw at the 2008 USA Junior Championships during her early years on the team.
Her international debut came at the 2010 NACAC Under-23 Championships, where she won bronze in the hammer throw. That same year, she earned NCAA All-American honors in the weight throw, shot put, and hammer throw.
In her final season at Southern Illinois, Berry won the Missouri Valley Conference title in the outdoor shot put. She also ranked second in the world that year in the weight throw, trailing only Amber Campbell.
Professional Debut and Olympic Rise
Berry secured her first national title at the 2013 USA Indoor Championships in the weight throw. The following year, she won gold in the hammer throw at the 2014 Pan American Sports Festival, beating three-time world champion Yipsi Moreno of Cuba.
That win marked a turning point in her international career. By 2016, Berry was ranked number one globally in the weight throw for the season and set a national record of 76.31 meters in the hammer throw at the Tucson Elite Classic.
She qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after placing second at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Berry finished 14th in the qualification round in Rio, falling short of the final.
Major Achievements and Activism
Berry reached her career-best hammer throw of 77.78 meters on June 8, 2018, a mark that still ranks among the top American throws ever recorded. The following year, she won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, with a throw of 74.62 meters.
During the medal ceremony in Lima, Berry raised her fist as the national anthem played, a gesture she described as a stand against social injustice in America. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee placed her on probation for a year, and she lost a significant share of her sponsorship funding as a result.
Her protest also pushed the organization to change its rules. In 2021, the USOPC adjusted its guidelines to allow athletes peaceful expressions of protest tied to racial and social justice.
Berry qualified for her second Olympics in 2021, finishing third at the U.S. Trials in Eugene, Oregon. She competed at the Tokyo Games that August, finishing 11th in the final with a throw of 71.35 meters.
Gwen Berry Career Stats and Records
Berry holds the world record in the weight throw at 25.60 meters, set in March 2017. Her personal best in the hammer throw stands at 77.78 meters, achieved on June 8, 2018.
She is a three-time national champion in the weight throw at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Berry also competed at two Summer Olympics, in 2016 and 2021, along with multiple World Championships appearances.
In August 2023, USADA suspended Berry for 16 months after she tested positive for spironolactone. That suspension followed an earlier three-month ban in 2016 for a prohibited medication.
Gwen Berry Awards and Recognition
Berry received the 2020 Toyota Humanitarian Award from USA Track and Field, recognizing her activism and community impact. That honor came the same year her podium protests drew national attention.
She has also been recognized through her Olympic status, holding the OLY designation as a two-time Olympian. Beyond athletics, Berry has worked with organizations including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Athletes for Hope.
Gwen Berry Net Worth
Gwen Berry’s estimated net worth is $3 million as of 2026. Her income has come mainly from sponsorships, competition earnings, and her coaching salary at Tennessee State University.
She lost a significant portion of her sponsorship income after her 2019 protest, including a deal with Nike. Since then, Berry has rebuilt her income through coaching and public speaking tied to her activism work.
Gwen Berry Social Media
Berry is active on Instagram under the handle @mzberrythrows_, where her bio highlights her status as a two-time Olympian and her 2020 Toyota Humanitarian Award. She shares updates on her coaching work and continued advocacy there.
Her account also reflects her post-competition path, including her academic pursuits and fellowship work. Fans following her coaching career at Tennessee State often find updates through that same account.
The Bottom Line
Berry won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games with a throw of 74.62 meters, then raised her fist on the podium in a protest that led the USOPC to change its rules on athlete demonstrations. She competed at two Olympics, finishing 14th in Rio in 2016 and 11th in Tokyo in 2021.
She grew up in Florissant, Missouri, and became a mother at 15 before turning her focus fully toward hammer throw at Southern Illinois University. Berry still holds the world record in the weight throw, a mark she set in March 2017.
She now coaches at Tennessee State University while continuing her advocacy work. We hope you enjoyed reading about Gwen Berry. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!