Occupation: Olympic Athlete Birth: August 31, 1955
I went to Moorehouse College. There was no track and field there..
I overcame size with mechanics..
I always had to keep improving my skills in order to remain competitive and keep winning..
I ran my first race the end of March, 1976. And less than four months later I was Olympic champion. But I had the background. It's not like I just ra….
Lots of people let it go by and never accomplish what they want. I just wanted to see what I could do..
One of my major competitors was Harold Smith. Smith beat me in 1977. I was loafing during that competition..
The joint lubrication was not what it was when I was competing, and I decided that not having arthritis or rheumatism for the rest of my life was a l….
You have to have already convinced yourself that you are going to win no matter what other influences are..
I don't really see the hurdles. I sense them like a memory..
I was always more of an academic than a jock..
There are so many people afraid of a task. They get so overwhelmed by the obstacles in front of them that they shy away from reaching beyond a positi….
I used biomechanics to save time when I was competing..
I never struggled with injury problems because of my preparation - in particular my stretching..
No one runs fast without an extreme amount of training. Like today, you see kids walking around dribbling a basketball. I had a bag with track shoes ….
Social ills: teenage pregnancy, gangs, children with behavioral problems. All these things can be alleviated if kids got more physical activity for s….
Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training and concentrate in a meet..
In digital world, sport provides opportunity to bring people together..
My father was also a principal of a school and mother was a curriculum advisor. Both were educators..
I wanted to go to medical school. But, I never got a college scholarship..
I was always a mean and lean athlete - not tall - not large..
Both parents supported my becoming a world class athlete..