Spikes28 Apr 2015


Words of Wisdom – Chris Brown

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Chris Brown

Olympic 4x400m champion Chris “Fireman” Brown has enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the top. The Bahamian one-lap star gives us his sage words of wisdom.

1. Never give up

“No matter how tough the situation, it is important to remain strong. Throughout my career I've stuck at it and overcome setbacks. I remember how depressed and disappointed I was when I missed out on a scholarship to a US university. Yet I never gave up.

“I continued my education in the Bahamas and ended up with a better education. I refused to give in and worked harder at my athletics. Looking back, it was a blessing I missed out on that scholarship at that time.”

Chris Brown

Brown and his Bahamian teammates celebrate after winning 4X400m gold at London 2012

2. Be humble

“I learned from a very young age that you are only as good as your last race. I first learned the importance of being humble when I missed out on a scholarship, but that was reinforced when I competed as part of the 4x400m team at the Sydney Olympics. I was number one in the Bahamas and I was receiving lots of nice write ups from the newspapers.

“Sometimes this can go to your head, but I learned to always remain humble and focused.”

Chris Brown

After winning 400m world indoor bronze at the '06 and '08 championships, Brown claimed gold at the 2010 edition in Doha

3. Stay patient

“I've always been a patient person and this has always stood me in good stead. You are not just born and walk straight onto the medal podium. You need to steadily progress and learn from your experiences.

“Sometimes people don't understand it is not just about the winning. Sometimes it is about just the competing and being part of a competition.

“There are sometimes 50+ people entering an event at a major championship chasing just three medals. You need to show patience. There are always obstacles and roadblocks along the way but I've always enjoyed the challenge of trying to overcome them and of learning something new every day.”