From the Fall 2013 issue of TrackSide magazine, available now at trackside3.tracknation.com.
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| Manteo Mitchell ran 200 meters of a relay on a broken leg at the 2012 Olympics, but that's not what he wants to be remembered for. |
Manteo
Mitchell is leading a paradoxical life. He is an American professional athlete,
and Olympic silver medal winner. At track meets, he is known by sight and as an
inspirational speaker; he has delivered more than 60 testimonies of faith and
hope. He even has a mantra which he is happy to share – that being “Faith,
Focus, Finish.”
The
problem is, Mitchell’s road to celebrity came as the result of a tough break,
more specifically, the one in his left fibula as he ran a leg on the U.S.
1600-meter relay. In a twist of irony, he was introduced to track as the result
of another bone injury, this one a complete break in his left radius bone,
which ended his senior high school year of football in the second game.
While
Mitchell would have preferred to find fame in another manner, there is no
question that his heroic act of not being “that guy” and finishing his leg on
the track at London has helped him find an audience.
Now
it’s time for the real work to begin.
“FaithFocusFinish”
The
casual observer might be prone to believe that this trite, but meaningful,
saying was added to the quarter miler’s vocal repertoire soon after the London
Games, when his name was on the lips and typing fingers of many a reporter.
Nothing
could be farther from the truth....
(Continued on page 16 at trackside3.tracknation.com.)
Manteo Mitchell’s website can be found at manteomitchellusa.com, and he is also on Twitter @manteomitchell and @OlympicFaith (FaithFocusFinish.)
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