Olympian Raven Saunders' mother dies days following her silver medal win



Clarissa Saunders, the mother of U.S. track and field star Raven Saunders, has died just days after her daughter won her first Olympic medal.

The elder Saunders passed away while in Orlando, Florida, according to a Tuesday report from NBC affiliate WCBD-TV in Saunders' hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Saunders was in Orlando attending a viewing party to watch her 25-year-old daughter compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

Raven Saunders won a silver medal for Team USA in the women's shot put final in Tokyo on Sunday.

The popular athlete confirmed her mother's passing in a tweet Tuesday, writing, "My mama was a great woman and will forever live through me. My number one guardian angel ... I will always and forever love you."

USA Track & Field also shared a message on social media in support of Saunders and her family.

The USOPC & USATF would like to offer Raven our most sincere condolences. Her mother leaves behind an incredible legacy in her daughter for who we are so proud and grateful to call our teammate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Saunders family during this difficult time.
— USATF (@usatf) August 3, 2021

"The USOPC & USATF would like to offer Raven our most sincere condolences. Her mother leaves behind an incredible legacy in her daughter for who we are so proud and grateful to call our teammate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Saunders family during this difficult time," the organization tweeted.

In honor of Mother's Day this past May, Saunders shared an Instagram video of herself riding in a car with her mom. A second video in her post showed her mom being sung to on her birthday.

In her heartfelt caption, Saunders thanked her mom for teaching her about strength and resilience.

"You've shown me what strength is and for that I can push through anything. You've shown me relentlessness and for that I've learned determination. You've given me life and shown me love and for that I owe you everything," wrote Saunders.

"Happy Mother's Day to the number one woman in my life. I love you and thank you for being a great mother!!!!" she added.

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