SMILING, STAYING HAPPY, BEING TRUTHFUL — MIKE POWELL SHARES HIS MANTRA WITH T2 

He holds the long jump world record of 8.95m from the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, bettering Carl Lewis. In town for Tata Steel Kolkata 25K partnered by The Telegraph recently, star athlete Mike Powell chatted with t2 at The Oberoi Grand...

Do you run on a regular basis? 

Yeah! I run… I run at home… most of the time I run when I am at the gym training… sometimes on the road, but I have to take care of my body, so I run on softer surfaces. 

Have you always loved running?

Always, but I grew up playing basketball all the time. That is my favourite sport. I was an active kid… and in pretty much every sport you have to run, so I have always been running. 

What is the rush of running like?

It’s when you get that runner’s high… you get tired and fatigued, but then comes a point when you feel euphoria. It’s like a drug almost and you just enjoy the feeling. When I start my training, when I wake up in the morning, my body is ‘let’s go run!’ 

How has your running pattern changed over the years?

When I was younger and competing, I didn’t do very long runs. The longer running you do, it doesn’t help for sprinting. I did shorter runs. Now that I am older and I just want to stay in shape, I do longer, slower runs.

What is the secret of looking as fit as you at 54?

(Laughs) Smiling, staying happy and then looking in the mirror and being truthful. 

What is your workout like now?

I am working out may be three four days a week… sometimes more. I like to go to the gym. I get a little serious… put my music on… it gets me motivated these days. I am not competing against anybody but still I challenge myself. I like working on my biceps the most (laughs).   

Your achievements are well-documented. What we don’t know though, is the process. What is Mike Powell’s mind like?
When I was younger, I was little and skinny. I used to get teased a lot. Competing in athletics was a way for me to show people that I could do well. I would always get motivated to do things people said that I couldn’t do… I always took on the challenge. 

I always tell people that you have to set a goal, a realistic goal and then make a plan and figure out how you are going to do it. It goes without saying that you have to work hard… work harder than anybody else. The most important thing is believing in yourself because people are always going to tell you that you cannot do something, but if you believe in yourself, then you can do it. 

There are going to be times when it would seem too difficult or that you are not going to make it, but if you believe, then you will make it. If you can see it, then you can do it! For example, if I were to look at this table and say that I can jump over the table, then my body would say, ‘Okay, I can do that’, but if I look at this ceiling and say ‘I am going to jump over it’… no, I cannot do that. 

What flashes past at those winning moments?

Wow! I was thinking (at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo) … ‘Man, I am a star now!’ (Laughs out loud) I was always chasing Carl Lewis you know, and then when I finally beat him, I was like, ‘Wow! I finally finally beat him!’ After the competition I realised how important it was… who knew 26 years later, I would be sitting here and smiling about it?!

What is your relationship with Carl Lewis right now?

Carl and I are really good friends now. Every time I see him, I am ‘Hey! It’s my buddy’, and we laugh, but yeah, when we competed against each other, I did not like him at all because he was so good! Now we have good conversations and we can laugh about what happened before. 

Which other athlete in the last decade or so has taken you by surprise? 

Hmm… obviously Usain Bolt… he is amazing. I wish that I were as tall as him. (Laughs) It’s sad to see him retire, but he’s had a great career and he has done a lot for the sport. The thing I like about Usain is that he was like me. He had fun out there competing and he enjoyed it and he entertained the crowd and that’s the same way that I competed. He was having fun the whole time and I know I did my best while I had fun. 

Your daughter Micha is also an athlete. What do you tell her?

No… she doesn’t listen to me! (Laughs) She is like, ‘No, papa, I know, I know’. So, I am not saying anything. I support her and tell her to do her best. You know daughters don’t want to listen to their dads. She used to play tennis and started competing in athletics when she was 17 and she has been doing very well. She is still new to the sport, but she has a big future. 

Would you tell every parent to introduce their child to sports?

Yeah, the best thing you can do is take sports to children. For me, I didn’t tell her to get into athletics. She played tennis, so I was just supporting her. I would tell parents to encourage their kids to do something… something active… regardless of what it is. Even if it is not sports… may be even dancing or playing an instrument… something to have passion for. 
Sports is really important because it teaches you discipline, how to work with other people, set goals and accomplish them, how to win, but it also teaches you how to lose. Plus, it’s fun. 

What does fun mean to you off the field?

I am a people person… just being around people, laughing and joking. Also to be able to travel all around the world… coming to India… to do things like this is just a blessing. I also like Australia, New Zealand… I was all over Europe, South America. There are two places I want to go to — Iceland and South Africa. 

Do you watch movies?

I like action movies. I like to use movies to escape. I just finished watching Wonder Woman on the plane. 

What about music?

I like all kinds of music. I love to dance… so, hip-hop music and dance music. When I was young, I was a DJ! Now, I do it for fun. 

Are you reading anything?

I haven’t been reading a lot lately. If I am reading, I am reading things about athletics and training… boring things!