Michael Johnson: how the world's fastest man learned to walk again
US sprinter and Olympic champion Michael Johnson broke records as one of the fastest men in the world. But in 2018 an unexpected stroke left him unable to walk.
US athlete and Olympic champion Michael Johnson is one of the greatest sprinters in history. In the 1990s, he tore through the record books with a series of thrilling gold medal wins. Even after he retired from racing, he kept up a rigorous work-out regime, exuding health and fitness. So, for Michael it was frightening and unnerving when he had a stroke in 2018. It left him unable to move by himself and he had no idea if he’d ever recover. Michael Johnson was once the fastest man in the world - would he learn to walk again?
Presenter: Neal Razzell
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Sound design by Joel Cox
Picture: Michael Johnson after winning gold and breaking the 200m world record at the 1996 Olympics
Credit: Getty Images
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Thu 6 Feb 2020 12:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Thu 6 Feb 2020 16:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia
- Thu 6 Feb 2020 18:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, South Asia & West and Central Africa
- Thu 6 Feb 2020 21:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service South Asia
- Thu 6 Feb 2020 23:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 7 Feb 2020 03:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online & UK DAB/Freeview only
- Fri 7 Feb 2020 04:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
Contact Outlook
Info on how we might use your contribution on air
Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected