I used biomechanics to save time when I was competing.
I always got my work done before playing.
I always had to keep improving my skills in order to remain competitive and keep winning.
I never considered myself as a favourite in any hurdles event. I never took anything for granted.
I never struggled with injury problems because of my preparation - in particular my stretching.
I was black, studying physics and engineering. I was from a small school nobody ever heard of.
In any competitive environment, whether you're in sales or marketing or whatever it is, you have to know your competition, understand who they are, do intelligent analysis on them and then you have to know yourself - who you are and what you're capable of doing.
I stand with all the athletes who believe in doing things right. The ones who win and the ones who lose while knowing they have been cheated out of their positions. There are thousands if not tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of those kinds of athletes out there. We have to remember them.
My concentration level blocks out everything. Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training and concentrate in a meet.
I used to have tears in my eyes on the way to practice because I was so focused. For me, track and field was serious business. I didn't have any friends. I was very isolated and very focused.
I'm an engineer. I studied physics and engineering. In fact, in 1978 I started working as an aerospace engineer with General Dynamics. I used to test cruise missiles, space systems, I worked on the first generation of cruise missile.
The joint lubrication was not what it was when I was competing, and I decided that not having arthritis or rheumatism for the rest of my life was a lot more important to me than returning to the track.
In digital world, sport provides opportunity to bring people together.
My career proves that you can be on top for a long period of time by doing things that come naturally.
I wanted to go to medical school. But, I never got a college scholarship.
My father was also a principal of a school and mother was a curriculum advisor. Both were educators.
I was always more of an academic than a jock.
In particular, I studied German and Russian biomechanics.
I was always a mean and lean athlete - not tall - not large.
I overcame size with mechanics.
