While perusing the internet over the weekend, I stumbled upon a YouTube video explaining the differences between the sprinter and the marathoner. The video shared the differences between fast and slow twitch muscles while also explaining the way these differences affect your physical appearance and performance. As soon as the video came to an end, my head went straight to the most recent Summer Olympics where athletes of all shapes and sizes competed. The immediate faces that came to mind were those of Usain Bolt and Mo Farah of Jamaica and London, respectively. Even though both individuals participated in track and field races, they have very different physical appearances.
Usain Bolt:
Height: 6’5
Weight: 210 lbs
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Bolt is known as the World’s Fastest Man because of the records he has set. Bolt has won 6 gold medals in the Olympics and he is the first man to hold both the 100m and 200m (9.58 and 19.19 respectively) World Records at the same time. He also contributed to setting the World Record for the 4X100m relay.
Mo Farah:
Height: 5’9
Weight: 130 lbs
Mo Farah is the current title holder for the 10,000 meter event. Although not a record breaker, Farah still has an impressive time to beat at 26:46:57, coming in at 15th on the all-time list.
Why are these two men so different? Well, rather than just talking about it, I’ll let the video show you:
So, the next time you’re at the gym, remember that being bigger or smaller doesn’t make you any more or less of an athlete. You might just be a different kind!
As a bonus for those of you who haven’t heard about this, check out the story about Mo Farah challenging Usain Bolt to a 600 meter race. Who do you think will win?
Steve is an Executive Recruiter at Robert Half Executive Search in Madison, WI with a business degree in Information Systems and E-Commerce from the University of Toledo. Steve loves spending his time away from work; running, gaming, watching movies, checking out new social networking tools/sites/start-ups and blogging.