The Empowerment Influencer®
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Ellakisha S. O’Kelley was born and raised in Albany, NY. She attended the University at Albany where she was initially accepted into the top nationally ranked School of Criminal Justice program while competing as an athlete on the track team. After excelling in her second year at the university and breaking all the program's sprint and hurdle records, earning Division II All-American honors three times and conference champion six times, she transferred to the University of South Carolina (UofSC) to finish up her last two years. After joining the program, she immediately earned several accolades on and off the track, including, being the first woman in the history of the South-Eastern Conference (SEC) to win both hurdle titles in a single SEC Championships (contributing to the history-making SEC Championships title for the women track & field program), becoming a 6 x All-American, and being awarded the Best Female Student-Athlete of The Year Award for the entire university in 2000.
After obtaining notable achievements in her collegiate career, she pursued a professional track career. Following a fourth-place finish at the 2000 USA Olympic Trials, she joined the Nike brand and signed with her first agent. Despite gaining some notable post-collegiate achievements, such as becoming Sydney Olympics’ 100m hurdle alternate, landing a top 15th ranking in the world for the 100 hurdles, and competing internationally for the USA; she struggled with the politics of the sport. After going through three agents and numerous coaches during her track career, insurmountable odds presented themselves in the face of competing successfully. A sports injury and financial turpitude expedited her decision to permanently leave the track world as a competitor.
In addition to being a former professional track athlete and former certified NFL Contract Advisor, Attorney O'Kelley has been consulting athletes and entertainers on contractual and business decisions for a combined 15 years. Furthermore, she has formed several entities and holding companies as an incorporator, for both non-profit and for-profit organizations. In addition to being a real estate attorney, she is a licensed Realtor® partnered with Norman & Associates to provide luxury experiences in buying, selling, commercial, and relocation services.
As an author, speaker, and podcaster she channels her empowering efforts into creating a legacy impact on our society.
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