Track & Field

You attributed your post-stroke recovery to embodying an "Olympic mindset," what did that look like for you?

Stroke survivor credits 'Olympic mindset' for remarkable recovery

So after my stroke back in 2018, I was able to make a full recovery, thankfully, and pretty quickly after having been in a situation where I couldn't walk. I couldn't stand and didn't know if I was going to ever walk or stand again. And a couple of months later, I was back running, somewhat poorly, but I was actually walking, standing, and running a couple of months later. And I attributed that to the Olympic mindset, and that is something that obviously I was familiar with and helped me so much during my stroke recovery. The Olympic mindset is the idea that one thing is your absolute priority, and nothing is more important at the moment than preparing for this. Obviously, during the Olympics, I was preparing to win gold medals. During my stroke recovery, I was preparing to get back to my livelihood back to the ability to walk, and hike, and run, and paddleboard, and kayak, and cycle all of the things that I do now to keep myself fit and, quite frankly, to enjoy myself. So the idea that this is the most important thing for me and focusing all of my energy every single day on being the best I can at preparing for that and trying to be better today than I was yesterday and focusing on incremental improvements every single day and being able to recognize those improvements and celebrate those. And then move on from those and prepare for the next day, and being able to overcome setbacks as well. That's the Olympic mindset, and it was absolutely critical for me in my stroke recovery.

After having a stroke in 2018, I was able to make a full recovery quickly with the help of the Olympic mindset. This mindset focuses on making incremental improvements and celebrating successes while being prepared to overcome any setbacks. This mindset helped me get back to my active lifestyle.

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After my stroke in 2018, I made a full recovery, which was quite remarkable considering I couldn't walk or stand at one point. Within a couple of months, I was back to running, albeit not as well as before. I credit this recovery to embodying an Olympic mindset.

The Olympic mindset is all about prioritizing one thing above all else and dedicating all your energy to preparing for it. During the Olympics, my focus was on winning gold medals. During my stroke recovery, my focus was on regaining the ability to walk, hike, run, paddleboard, kayak, and cycle - all the activities that bring me joy and keep me fit.

Embracing the Olympic mindset meant making my recovery the most important thing in my life at that moment. I channeled all my energy into preparing for it, striving to be better each day than I was the day before. I celebrated incremental improvements and learned to overcome setbacks along the way.

This mindset was absolutely crucial in my stroke recovery journey and allowed me to regain my mobility and return to the activities I love.

What was it like to be a Nike athlete in the 90s?

The '90s: Inside the Game-Changing World of Nike Athletes

What was it like to be a Nike athlete in the '90s? It was an interesting time with sports marketing of athletes, with Jordan leading the way as this icon who revolutionized the athlete sports marketing world. And Nike was doing a great job with their agency, widening Kennedy at the time, creating really cool marketing campaigns that featured great athletes and put us in a different light that showcased our talent, but also off the track or off the court or off the field. So I was a part of some great Nike campaigns back in the '90s. Yeah, and it was something that was great for me and helping build my brand. And of course, working on things like the Nike gold shoe project with Nike was something that was really all about helping me to perform better as an athlete. But then ultimately, the shoes became famous as well and were iconic themselves. So it was a really good time to be a Nike athlete back in the '90s.

Being a Nike athlete in the '90s was great as Nike created cool marketing campaigns featuring great athletes and helped build their brand. They also worked on projects such as the Nike gold shoe project to help athletes perform better.

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Being a Nike athlete in the '90s was an interesting experience. It was a time when sports marketing of athletes was evolving, with Jordan leading the way as an iconic figure who revolutionized the industry. Nike, with their agency Wieden+Kennedy, did a fantastic job creating captivating marketing campaigns that showcased the talent of athletes both on and off the field.

I had the opportunity to be a part of some amazing Nike campaigns during that time. It was not only beneficial for building my personal brand but also allowed me to be seen in a different light, highlighting my skills and abilities beyond just my performance in sports. Additionally, I had the privilege of working on projects like the Nike gold shoe, which aimed to enhance my athletic performance. These shoes became iconic in their own right.

Overall, being a Nike athlete in the '90s was a great experience. It was a time when Nike was at the forefront of sports marketing, and I was fortunate to be a part of that era.

Did you think about retiring after college instead of going pro or was that something you always had planned to do?

From College to Pro: Creating Opportunities for a Dream

Did you think about retiring after college instead of going pro, or was that something you always had planned to do? It was something I always wanted to do. I had to create that opportunity. Going pro isn't something you just sort of choose to do, and to be quite honest, anyone who is a college athlete in the sport and has the opportunity to go pro is probably going to take it. So that was something that I was working towards and needed to create that opportunity for myself to be able to realize that dream of becoming a professional in the sport, and I was fortunate to be able to do so.

I always wanted to go pro and had to make the opportunity for myself to do so.

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Did I think about retiring after college instead of going pro, or was that something I always planned to do? Going pro was always my goal. I had to work hard to create that opportunity for myself. Going pro in sports is not a decision you simply make; if you have the chance as a college athlete, you're likely to take it. So, becoming a professional in my sport was something I worked towards and was fortunate enough to achieve.

How do you reflect on your career as a sprinter and the impact you made on the sport?

Dominant Sprinter Reflects on Impactful Career

How do you reflect on your career as a sprinter and the impact you made on the sport? I'm very proud of my career and very proud of what I was able to accomplish. I set out to be one of the greatest and to have to make history, and to be consistent in the sport, and to be in the sport for a long time. So I was able to accomplish all of those things. I think the history that I was able to make in this sport bringing the 200 meters and 400 meters together and winning gold medals at world championships and Olympics in those two events. And breaking the world record in those two events set the bar for athletes who have come after me, not only in my events but in other events as well, that in this sport, in order to do something great and to really make a mark, you can't just go in and win a gold medal in one event. You've got to do something that is unprecedented or something that is rarely done. And I think that that's what other great athletes now are striving for. That's not to say that winning a gold medal in one event isn't great. It's fantastic. But many of those athletes now who understand that in order to transcend the sport, they need to do something impressive in it. And I'd like to think that I had a little bit of something to do with that.

I'm proud of my career as a sprinter, especially the history I was able to make in the 200m and 400m events. I hope that I set an example for other athletes who strive to do something great and make a mark on the sport, not just by winning gold medals in one event, but by striving to do something unprecedented or rarely done.

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Reflecting on my career as a sprinter and the impact I made on the sport, I am incredibly proud of what I was able to achieve. My goal was always to be one of the greatest, to make history, and to have a lasting presence in the sport. I can confidently say that I accomplished those objectives.

The history I made in the sport by bringing together the 200 meters and 400 meters events and winning gold medals at world championships and Olympics in both events is something I hold dear. Breaking world records in these events set a new standard for athletes who came after me, not only in my events but across other disciplines as well. It showed that in order to truly make a mark and achieve greatness in this sport, one must strive for something unprecedented or rarely accomplished.

While winning a gold medal in one event is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement, many athletes now understand that in order to transcend the sport and leave a lasting legacy, they need to do something truly impressive within it. I like to believe that I played a small part in inspiring this mindset among other great athletes.

Looking back, I am filled with pride for my career as a sprinter and the impact I had on the sport. I am grateful for the opportunities I had and the ability to leave a lasting mark on the world of athletics.

Michael Johnson answers your Track & Field questions. See all the advice Michael Johnson has and get answers to your own Track & Field questions.

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Michael Johnson is one of the greatest sprinters of all time, and in the 1990s he dominated the 200m and 400m, going undefeated in the latter for seven years. Born in Dallas in 1967, he studied at Baylor University and was spotted by coach Clyde Hart. After gaining a degree, he committed to full-time athletics and in 1991 won the 200m world title. Sadly, food poisoning denied him individual success at the Barcelona Olympics, but he helped the US 4x400m relay team to gold. From 1993, Johnson went undefeated in the 400m for 58 races and in 1996 achieved the 200m-400m double at the Atlanta Olympics, setting world records in both. He retired in 2001 having won 8 world and 4 Olympic gold medals.