Usain Bolt has walked a very long path to become the ‘lightning Bolt!’ And you are dead wrong if you think his sprint career didn’t have an ebb. In fact, between being a junior World Champion in 2002 and an Olympic gold medalist in 2008, there was a period where Usain went through all kinds of setbacks. And life was hard for the four-time Olympian! Specifically, the period after 2002 was very difficult for Usain.

Injuries, reality checks, and booing from his own Jamaican people hit him hard. He realized he was not the only special kid on the block, even though he was born with the talent. His injuries even made him wonder if it was an end to his career. But life then sent him a guardian angel—in the form of Glen Mills. And under Mills, not to be dramatic, but it is true when we say Usain’s life and career changed forever!

Under Mills, Usain Bolt became a legend

In 2005, Mills became Usain Bolt’s trainer. In case you are thinking Mills was starstruck by taking over the responsibilities of the teenage prodigy, let us stop you right there. Glen Mills was the coach of Ray Stewart who won silver in the 100m sprint at the 1987 World Championships. Glen Mills coached Kim Collins to clinch the 100m gold at the 2003 World Championships. Mills was the head coach of the Jamaican Olympic division. If anything, it was Glen Mills taking on another project named “Usain Bolt”.

Mills was a straightforward person. He didn’t hesitate to let Bolt know that things needed to change. A veteran in coaching, Mills promised Bolt a 3-year timeline for results to show. As you know, Mills was right, even though for Bolt, it was all new. In an Instagram video shared on February 2 by a coach, Lucas Tailin, Mills detailed how he had worked on Usain Bolt. The Jamaican coach explained, “He (Bolt) was young and inexperienced and didn’t quite understand fully what it meant to be a professional athlete. He was enthusiastic, he was determined to do well, but there were a number of things that we had to, you know, point out to him about this dedication to training, application, following up the little details.”

Bolt was completely convinced of his supposedly invincible talent. After all, he was the youngest male ever to win gold in the 2002 World Junior Championship. At 17 years of age, he became the first teenager to run a 200m race under 20 seconds (19.93 seconds). He was setting records and sweeping almost every junior competition he was participating in. Winning had become like sunrise and sunset for him. It was the law of nature. Put yourself in his shoes. Even you would feel an aura of invincibility.

But then, he suffered a hamstring injury in 2004. This was a turning point. It was the first battle that really challenged him. In a way, that was a battle he lost, and it would have taken him down if Mills hadn’t come into his life. Talking about the injury recovery in his book, Faster than Lightning, Bolt narrated how he didn’t know back then how to handle setbacks and injuries: “Pain thresholds, patience and inner strength are things that can’t be found in a running magazine.”

It was understandable. He was a boy, a sprinter with immeasurable talent, but a boy, nonetheless. By the time he recovered, he started doubting himself. He doubted his body won’t be able to go as fast as he wanted to. Another injury might happen. His mind was convincing him to not go that fast.

Still, the injuries didn’t stop. He got injured in the 2004 Athens Olympics; and another hamstring injury in 2006 while running a 4x400m race in Kingston, Jamaica – his home. This time, as he limped off the track, his own people booed him.

Maybe he wasn’t taking care of his body. As a kid enjoying his youth, Bolt didn’t understand what needed to be done; the sacrifice he had made for the Olympics. He was partying, taking life at a casual pace. What 19-year-old wouldn’t? But that came at the cost of his body, and his career. Thankfully for Bolt, Mills stepped in. The latter didn’t hesitate to dish out the harsh truth: “He has to battle with his love for having a good time, parties, etc.”

Mills also made Usain understand what work ethic meant. It’s discipline, consistency, and keeping at it long-term. Mills had decades of experience that helped him pinpoint what the 8-time Olympic Gold medalist was doing wrong back then: “His consistency. I’m needing to train hard over a nine-month period and sometimes he doesn’t get it right and it puts a lot of pressure on him to pick himself up and get back to the level where he needs to be.”

Even in terms of competition, Usain needed a shift in mindset. As per his coach: “The whole question of competitiveness against the top athletes in the world, he had to learn how to compete with them, not to be intimidated and that sort of thing.”

It was a challenge for Mills and Bolt both. They would have to burn down a lifestyle that would otherwise ruin a promising career. All of Mills’ preparations could have failed, if not for the character of Usain Bolt himself. Bolt had the right attitude. All he needed was someone to show him the right way.

Usain was born to be a champion under the right guidance 

Glen Mills made sure Usain Bolt trained hard. The history-making champion that you see today is a product of unreal training, discipline, and sacrifice for the success of his career. As Mills elaborated: “He has some very special qualities, both as a competitor and as a person. He has the ability to focus almost instantly. He doesn’t have difficulty in understanding and assimilating the coaching instructions and he learns very fast.” A true legendary behavior, don’t you think so?

And not just technically, but more importantly, Bolt was willing to put in the work when needed, as shared by his coach: “He’s not the workaholic, but he will work hard if he finds himself in a situation where it is necessary. Like if he suffers a setback, and he has to train twice a day, he’ll make the effort.” For Mills, it helped that Usain was a committed disciple – “Yes, we can!”

Usain has time and again dedicated his success to Mills, who Bolt regards as his ‘second father’, even though they had been together only till 2009. Under Mills, Usain made the transition from a boy to a man and then to a legend! The current head coach of the Racers Track Club didn’t only have to work on the mental side of Usain but also make the Jamaican sprinter a better physical specimen: “The whole question of muscle strength and overall body weakness was some of the areas that we looked at.”

While a young Usain was impatient, his coach asked him to trust the process. Usain shared in his autobiography Faster than Lightning, “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.”

Usain has had the talent all along. But he is also the perfect example that thinking only talent is enough is flawed and can destroy your career. Under Mills, Usain Bolt learned so much—work ethic, discipline, consistency, sacrifice for the cause, and much more. All these are as important as talent to be a record-maker.