Michael Johnson
The Catalyst
Ideas with a spark, energy, range and the ability to start things.
Michael Johnson is a former Olympic athlete who uses his platform to advocate for social justice and reform within sports. This interview reveals his commitment to addressing systemic issues and his belief in the power of athletes to influence change.
“And I sent the metal back. I just didn't, you know, I have always been, I've always been against drugs. I had training partners. I saw how hard they work. They weren't at my level, but they were professionals as well. And I mean, one point, you know, we sat around and we counted up all of the U.S.”
“So I was proud of that. Not that I just was able to hold on to it. So that eight years, you know, between the time that I retired and broke my world record, not one time that I ever introduced myself to anyone as the world record holder. That was not my identity. Have some friends who are world record holders, and that's their identity.”
“No, I felt like, I mean, and this is the thing, and I do a lot of work now with the UK Stroke Association as well as the American Heart and Stroke Association and try to help people understand, you know, and be aware of the signs.”
“You might die. Yeah, it was a crazy situation four years ago. I was, I just finished a training session in my gym at home and started experiencing this tingling in my left arm. I started having a real problem with coordination on my left leg and my left leg. So I almost fell down, hobbled over to a weight bench, sat down.”
The Rest Is Politics: Leading — 5: Michael Johnson: Politics, protest, and sport
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