subject: Learning About Carl Lewis [print this page] Many people have been inspired by the world's greatest runners to begin exercising even if it is as little as twenty minutes on a treadmill at home. Every great runner had to begin somewhere.
At home on the treadmill is as good a start as anywhere else. One of the world's best runners was Carl Lewis. Carl Lewis was born on July 1, 1961 in Birmingham, Alabama.
His full name was Frederick Carlton Lewis. He was born to two star athletes of their time.
His parents both attended the Tuskegee Institute. His father ran track and played football there while his mother participated in world-class hurdling competitions.
His mother, Evelyn Lewis, actually represented the United States in the 1951 Pan-American Games. His father's name was Bill Lewis.
Carl was the third child of four to be born to his parents. Throughout his life his parents coached young athletes in track and field.
As a young age, he and his family moved to Willingboro, New Jersey. While in New Jersey his parents founded the Willingboro Track Club.
Even though his parents encouraged all of their children to participate in track and field, they recognized that Carl was not naturally talented at it. Instead, they encouraged him to pursue music.
However, he was determined to improve and he continued to practice the long jump in the back yard. Carl also kept competing in track meets.
At this age he generally lost most of the time, but his burning determination drove him to continue improving. When he graduated high school in 1979, Carl Lewis was the number one high school track athlete in the country.
Later that year, he enrolled in the University of Houston with an athletic scholarship. He began working with Coach Tom Tellez who helped him refine his technique.
As a sophomore, Carl Lewis qualified to compete in the 1980 Olympic Games as part of the track team. However, he was disappointed when President Jimmy Carter decided to withdraw the United States from participation in the Games to show opposition to how the Soviets invaded Afghanistan.
Lewis kept working hard to improve his skills and he was number one in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) indoor championships for the long jump and the 1000-meter dash in 1981.
No athlete had ever won two events at a NCCAA championship event previously. A year later he left to work with the Santa Monica Track Club in California.
Even though he left the University of Houston, Coach Tellez continued to work with him. In 1983, Lewis was a strong competitor in the 200-meter run and the 400-meter relay.
This year he was able to compete in the Helsinki, Finland Olympic Games. While there he won four gold medals.
Throughout the next three Olympic Games, Carl Lewis competed and brought home a total of nine gold medals. This was the first time that an African American has won four gold medals since the time of Jesse Owens.
Previous to these Games, many thought that Carl Lewis was arrogant when he said he believed that he could win four gold medals. However, he backed up his claim and brought home the four gold medals.
He won these medals with his record 100-meter sprint time of 9.99 seconds, 28 foot long jump, 19.8 second 200-meter race, and 37.83 second 400 meter relay. The relay team broke the standing Olympic record for the time.
Despite his victory, the press made fun of him for making such wild predictions by calling him "King Carl." They were also upset with him for being late to press conferences.
As a result, Nike cancelled an endorsement contract with him and no other companies called seeking him as an endorser. However, he gained many fans throughout Europe and Japan.
With his continued success, a former competitor charged him with steroid use. After suing the magazine that published this rumor, he consented to drug tests after races.
No evidence was ever found to support this rumor in anyway. When he won eight gold medals, he began to feel his age.
However, despite the losses he began to suffer, the American part of the crowd began to support and accept him. They awarded him with a standing ovation in New Orleans, Louisiana when he qualified for the Olympics in long jump in 1992.
Today, Lewis has eight of his nine gold medals still. He buried the first, for his 100-meter dash, with his father when he passed away.
