5 Moments That Defined Usain Bolt’s Life
As a child, he hoped to play cricket professionally. He ended up the greatest sprinter of all time. These are the five moments that changed Usain Bolt's life. 👟
Usain Bolt's 5 life changing moments
When he started track and field
For me, the life changing experience? Wow, um… It definitely would be when I started track and field. I mean, I was a cricket lover, cricket was what I played and for me, when my coach decides. My career coach told me to do track and field, that was when my life really changed. Because for me, this is a sport that I end up doing and making a living off of, I would’ve never known that I would be this great because I started. I actually started track and field when I was 10.
The world juniors
At 15, when I won the world juniors in front of my home crowd. For me that was another life changing experience because that was the beginning, really, of me starting to dominate and do it while in track and field. For me that was one of my most stressful races, I put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot because I couldn’t focus, I was so nervous. And from then on I’ve told myself that there’s no reason to be nervous, if I can win in front of my home crowd, I can win in front of strangers. So, for me that helped to change my life, to turn over a new page.
The introduction of the Lightning Bolt at the end of the races
It just came to me, it was slightly a dance in Jamaica, that’s called “To Di World” and I actually just put the spin on it and made it my own and that’s how it became something that, again, changed my life because now everybody knows me by that pose. To me it’s everything, you know, it’s a brand because even sometimes some people will not even know my name, but if I do the pose, they will recognize that, “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re the runner.”
His first victory at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
That was when I burst on to the senior stage. That was definitely a big life changing experience because that was when I was well recognized all around the world and I started to make moves and to do great. Yeah, I didn’t even know that I broke the world record until like a minute after, when I heard it over the intercom and it’s all “Oh my god, Usain Bolt…” And for me, I was shocked because, for me, I was just there to compete, it was against Tyson Gay and for me that was a big race and I find out I’d won, I was just happy. So, when I broke the world record for me it was just a bonus, but it was really, really a big deal.
Winning three sprinting gold medals in three consecutive Olympics
Big events in my life were every Olympics for me. I think adding to my legacy, my first one was big because that was my first one. Defending my titles were big because I was the first person to ever defend the 100- and 200-meter title. And then winning in Rio was massive because it has never been attempted to win 3 Olympic gold medals so… For me to do back to back to back, for me that was big and made who I am and made me a legend.
Brut.
Usain Bolt's 5 life changing moments
When he started track and field
For me, the life changing experience? Wow, um… It definitely would be when I started track and field. I mean, I was a cricket lover, cricket was what I played and for me, when my coach decides. My career coach told me to do track and field, that was when my life really changed. Because for me, this is a sport that I end up doing and making a living off of, I would’ve never known that I would be this great because I started. I actually started track and field when I was 10.
The world juniors
At 15, when I won the world juniors in front of my home crowd. For me that was another life changing experience because that was the beginning, really, of me starting to dominate and do it while in track and field. For me that was one of my most stressful races, I put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot because I couldn’t focus, I was so nervous. And from then on I’ve told myself that there’s no reason to be nervous, if I can win in front of my home crowd, I can win in front of strangers. So, for me that helped to change my life, to turn over a new page.
The introduction of the Lightning Bolt at the end of the races
It just came to me, it was slightly a dance in Jamaica, that’s called “To Di World” and I actually just put the spin on it and made it my own and that’s how it became something that, again, changed my life because now everybody knows me by that pose. To me it’s everything, you know, it’s a brand because even sometimes some people will not even know my name, but if I do the pose, they will recognize that, “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re the runner.”
His first victory at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
That was when I burst on to the senior stage. That was definitely a big life changing experience because that was when I was well recognized all around the world and I started to make moves and to do great. Yeah, I didn’t even know that I broke the world record until like a minute after, when I heard it over the intercom and it’s all “Oh my god, Usain Bolt…” And for me, I was shocked because, for me, I was just there to compete, it was against Tyson Gay and for me that was a big race and I find out I’d won, I was just happy. So, when I broke the world record for me it was just a bonus, but it was really, really a big deal.
Winning three sprinting gold medals in three consecutive Olympics
Big events in my life were every Olympics for me. I think adding to my legacy, my first one was big because that was my first one. Defending my titles were big because I was the first person to ever defend the 100- and 200-meter title. And then winning in Rio was massive because it has never been attempted to win 3 Olympic gold medals so… For me to do back to back to back, for me that was big and made who I am and made me a legend.
Brut.