Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training and concentrate in a meet.
I always had to keep improving my skills in order to remain competitive and keep winning.
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.
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 position of safety.
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 ran one day and all of a sudden became a champion. It was a lot of work.
I never struggled with injury problems because of my preparation - in particular my stretching.
I used biomechanics to save time when I was competing.
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 in it, and I used to go to the track every day.
In digital world, sport provides opportunity to bring people together.
I overcame size with mechanics.
One of my major competitors was Harold Smith. Smith beat me in 1977. I was loafing during that competition.
I was always more of an academic than a jock.
I always got my work done before playing.
Stretching was a major part of my preparation.
My father was also a principal of a school and mother was a curriculum advisor. Both were educators.
Lots of people let it go by and never accomplish what they want. I just wanted to see what I could do.
