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Usain Bolt: How He Stayed on Top
He had talent, but so did everyone else. He had scoliosis, but never used it as an excuse. Here’s what really made Usain Bolt unstoppable.
Paco Raven
February 10th, 2025
Greatest athletes in focus - a new story every Monday. Brought to you by The Stoiclete.
Today’s athlete in focus is Usain Bolt, AKA the fastest human on Earth. He is still the world record holder in the 100-meter sprint and is the definition of an elite athlete in his sport. His important lessons are helpful not just for track and field athletes but for any athlete who wants to perform at their best.
In this edition:
We discuss how Usain Bolt dominated sprinting for over a decade and what truly set him apart.
We reveal how he dealt with scoliosis, which should have slowed him down but didn’t.
We share Bolt’s best advice on winning and losing and the mindset every athlete needs to reach the top.
— Paco Raven, Editor & Founder
Why talent alone is not enough
Usain Bolt dominated sprinting for over a decade, winning eight Olympic gold medals and setting world records in the 100m and 200m.
He made history as the only sprinter to win three consecutive Olympic titles in both events.
Widely regarded as the fastest man ever, he achieved his success through a mix of raw talent, hard work, and an unshakable belief in himself.
Everybody who is a proffesional has talent. So it’s who works the hardest on their talent that will be the best.
As a child, Usain Bolt’s talent was obvious. He won every race in his home country, and back then, talent was enough.
He was simply better than his opponents, and he didn’t have to work as hard to win.
But when he stepped onto the world stage, everything changed. Suddenly, everyone had talent. The one thing that had always set him apart wasn’t enough anymore.
In his first World Championships, he finished fourth. That’s when it hit him. Talent alone wasn’t going to cut it.
As an athlete, you might be the most talented in your town, your school, or even your country. But when you step onto a bigger stage, talent alone won’t separate you anymore.
Everyone at the top level is gifted. What makes the difference is who works the hardest on their talent.
That’s the lesson Bolt had to learn. After finishing fourth, he realized he couldn’t just rely on what came naturally.
He had to outwork the competition. He had to refine his technique. Build his strength, and commit to the process.
The same applies to you. Natural ability might get you ahead for a while, but if you’re not willing to put in the work, someone else will.
The real question is: Are you ready to do what it takes?
How Usain Bolt overcame his weaknesses
Not many people know that Usain Bolt has accomplished everything while suffering from Scoliosis, a permanent injury to the back.
Scoliosis isn’t just a small inconvenience. It’s a condition where your spine curves abnormally, throwing off your balance, posture, and movement.
A normal spine has a curve of about 10 degrees. Bolt’s? 40 degrees. Every step, every stride, every ounce of power had to fight against it. And early in his career, it showed.
He got injured. Every. Single. Year. His back couldn’t handle the force. His body kept breaking down. But he never used it as an excuse.
He found a way. He built strength where he needed it, trained smarter, and did what had to be done to stay on top.
The early part of my career, when we didn’t really know much about it (scoliosis), it really hampered me because I got injured every year.
He didn’t complain. He didn’t let it define him. He looked at reality and asked himself: What do I need to do to compete? Then he adjusted, adapted, and got to work.
I think it comes back to not lying to yourself. Yes I had scoliosis, but what do I need to do to make sure I can compete with it. The moment you start using something as an excuse, you’ll always be behind. I knew I had it, but I still believed I could compete and be the best.
That’s the mindset. No excuses. No lies. Just the truth.
If you lose, don’t blame the ref, don’t blame the weather, don’t blame bad luck. Be real with yourself.
Maybe you didn’t train hard enough. Maybe you didn’t eat clean enough. Maybe you weren’t locked in the way you should’ve been. Own it. Fix it. Move forward.
Because in the end, that’s what separates the greats from everyone else.
Why having a clear goal is important
The most successful athletes all have one thing in common. A laser focus on what they want to achieve. No distractions. No second-guessing. Just a clear vision of where they’re going.
For Bolt, it was simple. Three Olympics. Back-to-back-to-back. That was the goal from day one.
And for over a decade, every workout, every race, every sacrifice was made with that target in mind. Then he got there. Three Olympics. Mission complete. And he walked away.
At the start of my career, I set an end goal. I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve. My biggest goal was to win three Olympics back-to-back. That was my main target. So when I finally got there, after 10 to 12 years of continuous hard work, I knew that was it for me. I had reached my goal, and at that moment, I knew I would stop.
He left at the top. Not dragging it out. Not waiting until the losses started piling up. That’s the power of knowing when to stop.
Having a clear goal makes everything easier. It simplifies your choices. It keeps you locked in when things get tough. And when the time comes, it lets you walk away with no regrets.
If you’re at the beginning of your career, don’t just train aimlessly. Set a goal. Define your finish line. Then go all in.
Why Usain Bolt had to learn how to lose
This is what the greatest athletes understand and the average ones don’t. You have to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win.
Sounds crazy at first. But once you get it, it becomes the greatest advantage you’ll ever have.
Because here’s the truth. Every athlete is going to lose. You. Me. Everyone. The odds won’t always be in your favor.
The question is: what do you do when it happens?
My coach said to me you have to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win and it took me 2 years to figure out what he meant by that.
Bolt figured it out. He lost early in his career. He had to learn the hard way that raw talent wasn’t enough.
He had to take his losses, study them, and fix the gaps in his game. That mindset turned him from just another fast guy into the greatest sprinter of all time.
Losing isn’t the opposite of winning. It’s part of it. When you lose, the game is giving you feedback. It’s showing you exactly what’s missing, and where you need to improve.
That’s a gift. But most athletes ignore it. They blame bad luck, bad calls, bad conditions, anything but themselves. And that’s why they never breakthrough.
The best take losing personally, but not emotionally. They look at it for what it is. An opportunity to grow.
A mirror reflecting every weakness that needs fixing. If you’re smart, you pay close attention. You take notes. And you come back stronger.
This is the best advice you’ll ever get from Usain Bolt. Winning feels good. But losing is what will make you great.
Thank you for reading.
Next Thursday, we will return with a new Q&A edition and some exciting news about the future of this newsletter.
And if you missed last week’s Q&A Edition on which data you should focus on, read it here.
Until next week,
Paco Raven, Editor & Founder
The Stoiclete
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