Dawn Burrell

Dawn Burrell was a long jumper who competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She is the sister of top American sprinter and coach Leroy Burrell. Dawn competed collegiately at the University of Houston. She was USA Indoor Champion in the long jump in 1997, 2000, and 2001, and won the title outdoors in 1999. Burrell won the 2001 World Indoor title in the long jump and competed at the 1999 World Championships, placing sixth. She also placed fifth at the 1995 Pan American Games.

After retiring from competition Burrell turned to a culinary career. She studied at the Art Institute of Houston and later worked for chef Tom Aikens in London and Monica Pope in Houston. Burrell became sous chef at Uchi’s in Austin, Texas, after studying under Tyson Cole at Uchi’s in Houston. She then became executive chef at Kulture in Houston and in 2020 was a semi-finalist for a James Beard Foundation Award. She has appeared in several televised cooking competitions.