What is the Olympic spirit? It is "understanding, unity and fair competition", and it is also a force that transcends limits.
Michael Johnson, an American sprinter who has won five Olympic gold medals, may be the best interpretation of this spiritual strength.
He was once the "fastest man" in the world, but less than half a year ago, he suddenly suffered a mild stroke that made his body difficult to move. The trapeze artist, who used to run 200 meters in just 19.32 seconds, now takes 15 minutes to complete the same distance.
"The Olympic spirit has allowed me to recover from a stroke and at the same time allowed me to concentrate on the disease." During this time, in interviews with the American media ESPN, the British media BBC and the Guardian, Johnson shared the stroke experience that made him feel painful, but at the same time mentioned the "Olympic spirit".
In 1996, Michael Johnson competed in the Atlanta Olympics. Picture of this article Oriental IC
He is a unique "gold medal harvester"
"Michael Johnson suffered a mild stroke". Around September last year, the headline of the news appeared in the sports sections of foreign media, but it did not cause much shock.
For many young sports fans, their understanding of the "king of sprinting" is Bolt. But in fact, more than 20 years ago, this title belonged to the American sprinter Michael Johnson.
If you look at Johnson's resume on the field, it can only be described as "brilliant" - he won five Olympic gold medals and participated in five consecutive World Athletics Championships from 1991 to 1999.
As a "gold medal harvester," he won only gold medals on both the Olympic and World Championship tracks — not a single silver or bronze medal.
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Johnson won his first Olympic gold, and from then until the Atlanta Olympics, Johnson almost "dominated" the mid-sprint track, and he remained unbeaten in 54 400m international competitions for seven consecutive years.
In 1996, Johnson reached the pinnacle of his career. At the Atlanta Olympics, he won two gold medals in one go. In the 400 meters, Johansson won the championship with an absolute advantage of more than 10 meters ahead of the second place and broke the Olympic record with a time of 43.49 seconds. It was also the biggest victory in the history of the Olympic Games.
Until Johnson hung up his boots in 2001, he was a myth of invincibility on the track and field field.
Michael Johnson speaks to students.
It used to be 200 meters and 19 seconds, now it takes 15 minutes
The more brilliant an athlete has been, the more lamentable he has been when he has experienced lows and tribulations.
Johnson was like that, he had trained his body to near perfection in order to push the limits, but the stroke entangled him. Even he didn't know why he was suffering from the disease.
Four months ago, Johnson suffered a temporary ischemic stroke after finishing his regular training in his gym.
It was a small stroke caused by a temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain that led to a lack of oxygen, and Johnson himself recalls it, still palpitating, "There was a strange tingling sensation in the arm and left side of his body." ”
His left half of his body lost flexibility and coordination, and it took him 15 minutes to walk 200 meters over the next few days. You know, at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, which won the record gold, Johnson spent only 19.32 seconds from the starting point to the 200-meter finish.
Fortunately, the condition was not serious this time, and Johnson, 51, made a miraculous recovery. Today, Johnson has returned to normal sports, and he can surf, row, ride and run.
"I don't know why I had a stroke, it's something I have to accept. If I knew what the reason was, I would take some steps that might have eliminated the underlying problem so that I would be more grounded. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of good fortune. ”
Johnson admitted in an interview with ESPN that this disease that could not find out the cause of the disease made him very frustrated now, and the doctor told him that he still could not avoid the recurrence of the disease, which made Johnson even more angry.
"I've been doing the right things like training every day and staying in good shape, and a lot of people don't do that. They turned out to be fine, but I was lying in a hospital bed with a stroke. Obviously, this kind of thing is very irritating. ”
Michael Johnson promotes the 2024 Los Angeles Olympics.
The "Olympic Spirit" helped me recover from a stroke
When Johnson shared his 3 months of battling the disease, many media reporters would ask the question, "How did you overcome the disease?" ”
"The Olympic spirit has helped me overcome difficulties." Johnson's words are simple and abstract, but there is indeed the truest story behind it.
"After the MRI scan, I couldn't walk, I couldn't move my left leg and my arm was numb. I couldn't feel the arm, and it was a problem to even move my fingers. I was told I had a stroke and I couldn't move normally, and the reality was so harsh. ”
More frightening than illness in Johnson's description is the huge gap that falls from health into the arms of the disease, and the fragility and helplessness that come with a negative mental state.
The sudden illness made him realize the smallness of people, "The real lesson I learned from the stroke was that I was faced with a fragile situation where I could not walk. I need help to walk, and some of the ordinary little things in my daily life are difficult for me. ”
Johnson began to realize that to get back to his old form, he needed to open up to help.
"I remembered that I was the fastest person in 200 meters, so in the process of recovering, with every step I took, I could feel like I was re-learning." Johnson used that Olympic time to encourage himself, and constantly experienced the "Olympic spirit" in his mind.
Thus, the effect that surprised himself appeared - it was not that the "Olympic spirit" restored his body, but that he began to concentrate and become more positive and optimistic.
"During that time, I kept reminiscing about the Olympics and then concentrating on doing every recovery training session. And then I found myself getting better and better..."
For his condition, Johnson followed all the ways in which he could avoid stroke, including eating a healthy diet, drinking in moderation, exercising regularly and paying attention to weight. After more than 3 months, Johnson recovered. While he is grateful for the "Olympic spirit", he also intends to try more Olympic projects.
Marathon may become Johnson's next goal.