However, the holder of the national records in outdoor and indoor 400m faces a daunting challenge of funding her training and stay in Florida.
Olympian Josephine Mary said her daughter would struggle with the financial strains of coaching, sports massage, accommodation, travel and other living costs.
Josephine said she was seeking financial help for Shereen to train in Florida and qualify for the Olympics, “which has been her dream since young”.
Her plea comes amid calls for Shereen to be included in the podium programme under which athletes receive better support from the national sports council.
She said Shereen would be able to sustain herself financially until December with the sponsorship she had received from tycoon Vincent Tan’s Better Malaysia Foundation (BMF) in May last year to pursue academic and sporting excellence.
The BMF aid followed an FMT report on Shereen’s rise in the highly-competitive US college athletics under her coach Mason Rebarchek, and her parents’ struggle to meet her living expenses in the US.
Shereen, 24, will move to Florida, known for producing elite athletes, after her final semester next month at Winona State University in Minnesota.
In Florida, she will do her internship in recreation and tourism while training under Derrick White, who is presently coaching female athletes clocking between 50 and 51 seconds in the 400m.
White’s athletes are seen as good training partners for Shereen, who had earlier this month created a new national outdoor 400m record of 51.8s to break the previous mark set 30 years ago.
She arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday to prepare for next month’s Sea Games in Cambodia where she is a gold medal prospect, having topped the meet record of 51.83s.
Ipoh-born Shereen returns to the US from Phnom Penh to defend her 400m title at the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division II championships.
In September, she is expected to feature at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
How much faster can Shereen go?
Rebarchek believed Shereen could run faster with the training in Florida that boasts world-class training facilities, expert coaching and a competitive environment.
“I think she’s only beginning to unlock her potential,” said Rebarchek. “She has developed an incredible amount of grit and great attitude, and learned how to properly execute a successful race plan in the 400m.”
Asked about Shereen’s strength in running the 400m, he said: “She has incredible acceleration and top speed, and great form that she can maintain even at the end of the race when it gets really tough.
“She understands that nervousness and excitement are very similar things and has learned to harness those emotions and use them in a race.”
Rebarchek said Shereen’s incredible work ethic and desire to always improve makes her the kind of athlete that’s very rewarding to a coach.
White, the head coach and CEO of Life Speed Athletics, said he was confident Shereen could run under 51 seconds.
“Her speed endurance is the key to her running faster,” said White, noting Florida provided the ideal place for her to train as “it never snows and it’s warm year round”.
White said he would focus on transitioning Shereen from the college system to professional and assist in every aspect of her changeover.
He reached out to Shereen via social media after watching her win the 400m at the division two nationals last year.
“I started assisting her in late December when she came to visit my group in Florida. What impressed me was her height and stature that is very similar to Quanera Hayes, a multi division two national champ, whom I had trained for six years.”
Sub-50 racer Hayes, a 400m Diamond League champion in 2021, finished seventh in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and has earned several gold medals for the US in the 4x400m relay at major championships.
Another of his athletes at the Tokyo Olympics was Colombian Jhon Alejandro Perlaza Zapata who finished sixth in his 400m heats.
His other men and women sprinters who have done well at international meets include those from the US, Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Guyana.
White, 47, a former high school state champion in long jump and 100m, has been coaching for 16 years as a professional.
He said he worked with small groups of athletes to give them more attention.
“Many professional coaches train already fast, ready-made runners, but I embrace the challenge of developing the talent of promising athletes,” he said.