Throughout her entire sporting career, Richards-Ross answered questions regarding the 2008 Olympic 400 meters race with self-described half-truths, attributing her loss to a sudden right hamstring injury, lack of sleep, or fate. In her 2017 memoir "Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Taught Me about God and Life", she finally revealed the underlying reason for her disappointing loss at the 2008 Olympics; one month before the Games, Richards-Ross discovered that she was pregnant and decided to terminate the pregnancy the day before leaving for Beijing. A devout Christian woman and a world-class athlete at the prime of her career, she endured much physical and emotional turmoil following her difficult decision, even into the 2008 Olympics, as explicated in the book: "I made a decision that broke me, and one from which I would not immediately heal from. Abortion would now forever be a part of my life. A scarlet letter I never thought I'd wear."