For most track and field fans today, Usain Bolt is synonymous with the sport. With 19 Olympic and World Championships gold medals, the Jamaican’s GOAT status is undisputed. Yet, if not for the man who helped him along the road he might not have reached the heights. In most cases, a coach can make or break athletes. For Bolt, it was no different.

Born with scoliosis, Bolt’s legendary feats on the track could have been a dream shunned in the back of his mind. His stint at the 2004 Athens Olympics was a disaster, where he finished 4oth in the 200m heat. But when Glen Mills showed up at his door one day, things took a dramatic turn, and Bolt didn’t have to look back. Naturally, he still can’t forget how Coch Mills became the pivotal point in his life.

Usain Bolt’s coach wanted to take things slow

In his autobiography, Faster Than Lightning, the retired Jamaican Olympian talked about Glenn’s contributions to his illustrious career. Recalling how the coach arrived at his home in Kingston shortly after the Athens Games to get to know him better, Bolt said, “Immediately there was dialogue and I liked his style. He was friendly, smart and open.” Soon, Bolt realized that his new coach had chalked out a path for success, “ it was clear there was a master plan for my career,” he said. But, he was shocked when Coach Mills said the plan would bear results in three years.

“I felt impatient, I wanted to get working. I’d already messed up one Olympics through injury, not to mention a World Champs through illness. I needed to get back into the action straightaway,” Bolt noted his restless feeling about having to wait, but Glen wouldn’t have any of it. He further said how Mills made him understand what was at stake, “Coach was adamant, and he explained we had to be patient so I could be perfectly prepared for the next Olympic season. If we rushed his programme, or cut any corners, I might fall back again through a serious muscle strain.”

Multiple things plagued the coach’s mind, and he wanted to bring Bolt to his peak health before getting him on the tracks again. The track and field sensation writes in his book, “The scoliosis was a challenge we could overcome, but the hamstring tears and other niggling injuries still troubled him. That’s when the man stepped up. He promised to take care of my situation,” elaborating on how Mills was in touch with experts on every step of the way. “The man worked hard,” admitted the 8x Olympic gold medalist. He also remembered how his coach gave him a life lesson: “‘You’re going to have to live with this condition, Bolt’,” Glen broke the saddening news without beating around the bush.

Coach Mills’ openness and unwavering focus played a huge role in shaping the legendary sprinter.

Usain Bolt’s bond with coach has stood the test of time

The results started showing soon. Four years after Bolt began working with Glen Mills, the Jamaican sprinter reached the top of the food chain, and how! At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Usain won gold in the men’s 100m and 200m finals. In the two next Olympic Games, he would go on to defend both these titles without flaw, breaking and setting multiple new world records in the process, often surpassing his personal bests. However, Bolt and Mills worked together only till 2009, but their relationship was already more than just that of a coach and an athlete.

“He taught me the importance of learning from losing before I could get to the top. Infinite respect to Coach Mills for everything you taught me,” Bolt wrote on social media, hailing his coach for being the harbinger of change in his life. When in 2019 several athletes voiced their discontent about training under Mills, Usain Bolt told The RJRGLEANER Communications Group in an interview, “It’s the disrespect, as far as I am concerned, Glen Mills is one of the greatest coaches ever,” making his reverence for his former coach once again clear as day.

Way to have each other’s back, right? Glen Mills opened the floodgates to Usain Bolt’s talents with his wisdom and strategic coaching. If you have other iconic duos in mind, let us know in the comments below!