Four times Olympic Gold Medallist and 200/400m sprinting legend, Michael Johnson is the best 200m/400m sprinter in the history of track and field. His progression through the ranks was swift and stunning.
A dual event world champion, the likes of which had never seen before, Michael dominated the international scene, winning 19 international gold medals without so much as a single silver or bronze.
As an athlete, Michael Johnson accomplished many firsts, including becoming the first man ever to be ranked No.1 in the world at both 200 metres and 400 metres; the first man to win both events at an Olympic Games and the first man to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 400m sprint. He broke the world record for 200m and 400m during his career and retired in 2000 with four Olympic gold medals and nine World Championship gold medals.
Michael credits his achievements to a consistent philosophy of success that he applied over his 11 year career. He learnt early on that the amount of success he experienced was directly related to his level of effort, but beyond that he worked on the principle that to be successful in anything an individual must start with a goal. Only the individual can determine what success means for them. For him it was not being the fastest man, but becoming the best athlete that he could possibly be. This goal enabled him to plan the steps he had to take, and motivated him to train hard every day. As he learnt more about himself he was able to adapt his plan, enabling him to achieve his personal best while competing under tremendous pressure.
Post athletics Michael has taken this philosophy and applied it to various business ventures, including Michael Johnson Performance, a sports performance training company that provides training and consulting to professional athletes and sports teams all over the world. His sport management company, Ultimate Performance, represents some of the top track and field athletes in the world. His other business ventures include real estate and hotel development projects.
Michael has established himself as a leading corporate motivational speaker, having worked with such companies as Microsoft, Sony, UBS, Bank of Scotland, and Proctor and Gamble, and has achieved success as a television commentator and personality, working for BBC Sport.
Michael currently lives in San Francisco, California, with his wife and son.
His speech themes include:
Motivation
Goal setting
Performing under pressure
Overcoming obstacles
Entrepreneurial experience