Success in track and field? Brooklyn’s got a legend who’s practically sprinted his way into immortality. Curious? This sprinter’s résumé includes two 100m world championship titles, two 60m world indoor titles, and an Olympic gold in the 100m. Oh, and let’s not forget four more Olympic medals—one snagged at the ripe age of 34! Talk about aging like fine wine.

If that’s not enough, he also holds the record for the most individual 100m medals at the World Athletics Championships. Pretty epic, right? But here’s the kicker: Justin Gatlin says another sport helped him dominate the track. What sport could possibly hold the secret sauce for track greatness? Any guesses?

Track and field veteran tips his hat to another sport for building unshakable camaraderie

On the Run Your Race podcast, hosts Theo Pinson and AJ Richardson dived into Justin Gatlin’s high school football days. The former Olympian grew up immersed in football, and naturally, the hosts wanted to know: did it leave a mark? Was he serious about the sport? Gatlin didn’t hold back and shared some big revelations about how football shaped his journey. “It [football] actually mentally helped me,” Gatlin explained. But it wasn’t just about the game itself—it gave him tools that carried over to track.

“I feel like made me really good in track throughout my whole career even as a professional the fact of the people. My circle. I relied on them, they’re my team. You know, track and field is…it’s a lot of people running together. But it’s a very individual sport, kind of like a golf or a tennis or something like that. But for me, I realized that my training partners, we had to hold each other accountable, my coach, my therapist—all them kind of people—I realized that my circle was my team.” Football may be a team sport, but Gatlin figured out how to bring that same collaborative energy into an individual sport like track.

He even credited those early days with helping him thrive when the going got tough. “I felt content or I felt like I was down and out. I rallied on that energy to be able to bring me back up to where I need to be.” That mindset gave him the edge, especially during the later stages of his career. Gatlin’s story shows how the lessons he learned under those helmets and shoulder pads turned him into the track-and-field titan we know. So, does anyone in today’s sprinting world carry that same playbook?

The Olympian applauds another for living by the same maxim

The answer to the above question is yes; there is someone who is incorporating some techniques from other sports into track and field sports. No, it is not about finding the bonding between the teammates or how to gel with the support staffers. But it is perhaps about strength and conditioning. Surprisingly, Justin Gatlin is among the ones to unearth it. In his podcast, Ready Set Go, the former Olympian discussed it with co-host Rodney Green. And do you know who the concerned athlete is? 

Fred Kerley! The former world champion and two-time Olympic medalist showed up with a twist, adding baseball drills to his training routine. So, is he following a whole new regimen? Justin Gatlin wasn’t exactly sure, but he was game to weigh in. After hearing about Kerley’s fresh approach, Gatlin said, “I don’t know if it’s necessarily cross-training or if it’s like he’s really taking it seriously and trying to get out there and see what he can do, but more power to him, man. Go do what you do.” Given Gatlin’s own experience juggling multiple sports, he knows all about the benefits. His words? Just another nod of approval for trying new things and pushing limits.