I know that I can beat today's long jumpers: Mike Powell

Aging is a matter of mind. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter - this is, perhaps, what is pushing 52-year-old Michael (Mike) Powell towards his goal of sealing a berth at the Rio Olympics this year and finally getting that elusive gold medal. His plan to try and be a part of the Rio Olympics US team in the long jump squad didn't happen overnight, says the celebrated long jumper, who was in India recently.
"I've been training for the past three years and that's all I have been doing. Once I started training, I could feel my body telling me that I could do it. A lot of people look at me and are in disbelief and think there is no way I could do it," says Mike, adding that that's exactly what people said when he broke the long jump record in 1991 - his 8.95m at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo remains unbeaten. "I never thought it would last so long. In some ways I am happy because it has kept my name out there (laughs). Athletes out there who are trying to do it do not have the same devotion or the competition that I had, so that's a disadvantage. I had Carl Lewis. He was a living legend and I knew that I had to beat him. There was no room for awe and I had to make him my enemy. I liked to fight it that way," says Mike.
That doesn't mean that there's a dearth of talent in the sport. Mike believes that there is talent, but it needs to be harnessed. "Physically the athletes are fast, but they lack the knowledge of how to use this speed. It's an art and just because you are fast and you can jump, it doesn't mean you can do it the right way over and over again; in the rain, in the wind, at the Olympics and at the World Championships," he says.
Despite his training schedule, the champ is delighted about his India trip. "Every time I have to come to India, I have been greeted warmly. Though the weather was not too pleasant, the kind of enthusiasm that I saw in the people who ran the marathon was rather motivating," says Mike, who was seen grooving with some of the participants at the event. A former deejay, Mike is very vocal about his love for music, "When I listen to music I just don't listen to it, as I am always within my music. With athletics, you don't want to make it robotic, but rhythmic and so when you are listening to music and grooving, you let your body move. Long jump too is all about rhythm and, hence, music just adds to that."
Mike also fondly remembers the experience of working with Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George. "When I was training with her I knew what was at stake for her and for India and that it would be great for this nation because if she can, then others could as well and follow in her footsteps," he says.
As far as the sport of long jump is concerned, Mike believes that it may not yet be a forgotten art, but it is certainly not at its peak. "It takes one person to elevate something and long jump still hasn't got it." Could Usain Bolt be that person? "He won't, but he should. It would be a big challenge for him to jump 9 metres," says Mike.
His sport, like many others, has been under the shadow of doping scandals. "You can't stop people who are motivated to cheat, but simply be vigilant. For those who want to succeed, it is not only about the end result, it is about the journey of getting there which shapes a true champion," he signs off.