texas black sports hall of fame inductee
CLASS OF 2026
Sara Davis
Sarah Davis was born and
raised in Southern California, where she excelled in track and field. At UCLA,
she trained under legendary coach Bob Kersee and competed alongside iconic
athletes Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gail Devers, and Florence "Flo Jo"
Griffith-Joyner. Sara earned All-American honors in the sprints and was a
member of UCLA's still-standing 4x100-meter relay record team.
Her influence extended
into coaching, including roles at The Hockaday School in Dallas and American
Heritage Academy in Carrollton, where she helped launch the school, served as a
teacher and coach, and later joined its board. She founded Sprinter's Elite
Track Club before becoming the Women's Head Track Coach at Texas A&M
University-Commerce—the first African American female head coach in any sport
at the university. In five seasons, her Lady Lions set 11 school records,
produced six national qualifiers, and one NCAA Division Il All-American.
At age 40, Sara returned
to competition at the USA Track & Field Masters Championships, placing
second nationally and ninth in the world in her age division in both the IOO and
400-meter sprints.
Beyond the track, Sara is
the founder of Go RAW Wellness Services and works as a certified wellness coach
and personal trainer. Her commitment to empowering others includes supporting
youth and women's golf initiatives alongside Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame
inductee Gladys Lee and serving with the Dallas chapter of the NFL Alumni
Association. Since 1998, she has also ministered to thousands of inmates
nationwide as a Weekend of Champions speaker with Behind the Walls Prison
Ministry, delivering messages of faith and hope.
In 2019, Sara competed in
the Mrs. Texas Pageant, earning fifth runner-up honors while representing
Carrollton and advocating for women's health.
Sara is married to Keith
Davis, a former All-American linebacker at USC and former New York Giant.
Together, they speak nationwide through Youth Equipped to Succeed (YES),
impacting more than 100,000 Texas students. The Davises have two sons, Josiah
and Daniel. Active in ministry for over three decades, they now serve at One
Community Church in Plano, where Sara leads the Plano Campus women and Wellness
Ministry.