GOING OUT ON A HIGH NOTE
This post was first published in 2017 and was updated on 11 August 2024
Image by William Warby from London, England, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
30-year-old Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter, is a 9-time Olympic gold medalist who shot into Olympic lore when he won 3 gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing, 2008. He is the fastest man in the world deserving of the nickname Lightning Bolt.
I for one have always been fascinated by the Olympics and World championships since my teenage years. From the highs of John Akii Bua’s gold medal, the first for Uganda in the 400m hurdles in 1972 to the scandal when Ben Johnson of Canada left the Seoul Olympics (1988) in disgrace-after testing positive for anabolic steroids following his gold medal in the 100m dash, the Olympics are an unparalleled showcase of excellence and human endeavor. It has been a great joy and fun to watch Usain Bolt reinvent himself every year and keep challenging himself without using performance enhancing drugs.
From the onset, Bolt identified his strengths and defined his image that he projected to the world, then he committed fully to his authentic image and made the statement as the greatest athlete of all time. Every time he stepped on the field to compete, he carried himself with dignity and respect thus teaching us how to treat him. He owned his image, loved it and lived it. Who can forget how he worked up the London crowd during the 2012 Olympics after winning the 100 metre race?! He covered himself with the Jamaican flag and ran around the stadium greeting his fans! No wonder the people of Jamaica adore him and consider him among the best representatives of their country. On the track, he demonstrated incredible skills, traits, abilities and strived to play by the rules. He set himself apart from every other athlete and could never be confused with any of them.He declared to us that he was the fastest man in the world and proved it. He had become such an essential part of the Olympics and World championships and since his retirement , we continue to miss him until someone steps up to follow in his footsteps.
He was bold enough to say : “I’m the best. I’m the fastest man alive. I’m now a legend.’’
I was inspired to write this post mainly out of my admiration of him as one of the all time greats but at the same time for his humility that allowed him to know when to quit the game.
According to the Institute of Biomedical Research and Sports Epidemiology; the peak age performance for athletes in track and field events is 26.1. For the 100 metre race, it is 25.4 for men and 26.6 for women. In such a high-powered activity, no one gets better with age. Bolt holds the world record both in 100 metres dash (9.58secs of 2009) and 200 metre race (19.19 secs of 2009) and chose to give himself the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London as his final challenge. He had hoped to go out on a high note by breaking his own 100 metre record. In a highly charged atmosphere, the unexpected happened: Usain Bolt followed behind Christian Coleman (USA) and Justin Gatlin(USA) , the only person who had beaten him twice before. Justin Gatlin had been banned twice for doping and returned with a big bang. The irony was that as Bolt bowed out, Gatlin staged a comeback.
Like all his fans, I very much wanted Bolt to win one more time.
After all,we are always being advised to leave the stage when the audience is still applauding.
Some inspiring quotes by Usain Bolt:
“ Stop waiting for things to happen. Go out and make them happen.’’
“To all my doubters, thank you very much because you also pushed me.’’
“The difference between the impossible and possible lies in determination.’’
Yes, Usain Bolt, you took the games to another level; you made them exciting and made people want to watch them . Most importantly, you have inspired and demonstrated to the young that each one has something great inside her or him and has the responsibility to develop it fully for their own good and for the good of others. You set out to be recognized among the greats like Mohammed Ali and Pele and you achieved it. I cannot wait to see you channel that deep passion, energy and determination into something else.
Fast Forward to August 2024.
The doctor in me has forced me to follow up Usain Bolt’s life after he hung up his sports shoes at the London IAFF World Championships of 2017. He had bagged a bronze medal in the 100m men’s race but still retired as the track legend and the wealthiest sportsman in track and field. He was 31 years of age. Since the age of 16, he has enjoyed sponsorship by PUMA, the sportswear company. Usain Bolt has made PUMA a lot of money by his iconic status while he is paid a minimum of $ 10 m per a season, with another $10m added for the start of 2017 World Championship.
Life after a high profile sports career.
Available information indicates that his coach had wanted him to stage a comeback but knowing himself better , Usain, never did. He instead had a short stint at his favourite game, football till 2019.
After his retirement in 2017, he continued to collect $ 4m per year as PUMA’s brand ambassador. He also signed endorsement deals with other brands like VISA. His charisma and larger-than life personality draws large audiences whenever he appears at any event. He earns large appearance fees at any event.
Virtual appearances are the lowest while athletic appearances range from$ 200,000-400000.
He has a management team that maximizes his earning potential as the man with the most unmatched athletic performance worldwide.
He is engaged in business and some philanthropic efforts.
In his personal life, he started a family with his girlfriend of over a decade: Kasi Bennet.
They had their first child, a daughter, in 2020 followed by twin sons in 2021. He is committed and focused on being a hands-on head of the family and hands-on father.
He tries to live a normal life though his fame throws him some restrictions.
As for the 33rd Summer Olympics that started in Paris on the 26th July and ending on the 11th August 2024, the sports fans are on a daily high as surprises keep rolling in.
Noah Lyles won gold in the 100m event in 9.784 seconds and Letsile Tebogo from my second country, Botswana, won gold in the 200 m event in 19.46 seconds , setting an African record. This was Botswana’s first gold medal at the Olympics so it was not surprising at all when the President of this country, known for its high quality diamonds, declared Friday a half- holiday to celebrate the success.
Usain Bolt’s world records (of 9.58 seconds in the 100m event and 19.19 seconds for the 200m event are unbroken, proving that Usain Bolt remains the fastest man in history.
As a Ugandan, I screamed with delight when Joshua Cheptegei won gold in the men’s 10000m event and Peruth Chemutai bagged silver in the women’s 3000 m steeplechase.
One last quote from Lightning Bolt:
“ I know what I can do so it doesn’t bother me what other people think or their opinion about situations.’’
No wonder the self-belief, discipline, determination, hard work, resilience and adaptability that turned a
16-year-old Jamaican boy into a world athletic icon, still guide him into being his own man.
QUESTION:
There is always life after a career, however simple. Has Usain Bolt’s resilience and adaptability to life after a high profile career helped you find strength in managing change and embracing new challenges?
Has it given you some ideas on how to turn your personality into influence and inspiration?
apagefrommunakusbook 