Track and Field Legend Michael Johnson Applauds Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson for Breaking Mainstream Barriers

The track and field community has some of the best players with staunch backgrounds in this realm. The pattern of sports in this field has changed with time and the Olympic legend Michael Johnson threw light upon this fact. Johnson is a 4-time Olympic Gold medalist. He has accomplished eight World Championship victories and is one of the greatest sprinters of all time.

He took to his social media to talk about a change in the track community and appreciated the best track and field athletes Noah Lyles, Sha’carri Richardson, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The enthusiasts went in awe after witnessing the short and sweet appreciation for the champions from the legend himself.

Michael Johnson hails fresh talents of US athletics

Apart from his stellar accomplishments and skills on the track, the former athlete Michael Johnson is known for his tweets and opinions on social media. He is always up for sharing an insightful opinion especially, in the track and field realm. He once again shared the same on the 14th of November 2023 on his X account. He expressed, “I cannot recall a time when more track athletes successfully transcended the sport into US mainstream media coverage.” Adding to this, he appreciated the current track stars Noah Lyles, Sha’carri Richardson, and Sydney McLaughlin. He stated, “Noah, Sha’carri, and Sydney have all succeeded in unique and different ways.” 

Johnson highlighted the fact that these stars have accomplished success in their own ways and not did not follow the stereotypical runs towards just one goal. Johnson himself was an extremely successful athlete and has seen his share of success with some struggles. He has not just used his athletic skills to attain wins but also to recover from a heart stroke.

Michael Johnson’s battle against a stroke 

The track and field icon Johnson is one of the most renowned names when it comes to accolades and recognitions in the track field. However, with all his accomplishments, he has also faced some rough times in his life. Johnson never backs off from opening up about stories and experiences he has witnessed. In a recent interview with CNBC, he opened up about the heart stroke he had when he was 50 years old.

He shared his journey, and how he used his athletic skills to recover from this hard time. He expressed, “I was extremely, extremely, extremely lucky to having been an Olympic athlete because I understood the sort of incremental, improvements that are so minute on a daily basis that most people may not even realize and you get discouraged.”

Read more: USA Track and Field Olympic Legend Left Speechless by Coco Gauff’s “Ridiculous” Athleticism on Display at the WTA

After the stroke, he even struggled to stand up on his feet. But he never allowed these setbacks to dominate him. With his phenomenal determination and grit, which have won him many accolades on the tracks, he finally registered a much-needed win over the stoke. Taking a cue from his recovery journey, he now helps other stroke victims get better from this life-threatening problem.

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