The 100m favourite has had an extraordinary journey to the Tokyo Games – now he wants to use his platform to inspire
The man anointed by Usain Bolt as the favourite to succeed him as Olympic 100 metres champion is detailing his extraordinary journey to the Tokyo Games. It is quite the tale. Trayvon Bromell grew up on the south side of St Petersburg, Florida, where poverty and gangs were rife. His mother worked 7pm-7am every day to keep a roof over their heads. His best friend ended up in jail. And yet, despite also breaking both his knees and a hip as a child, he ended up winning bronze at the 2015 world championships as a 20-year-old – behind Bolt – only to spend years being unable to run due to severe injuries.
So when the 26-year-old American is asked whether the lack of crowds in Tokyo will present a challenge, he quickly puts things into perspective. “Not for me,” he says. “I grew up with no eyes watching me. People weren’t there when I struggled. People weren’t there when me and my mom could barely pay the bills. And when we didn’t know whether we were going to have a house over our heads there were no eyes on me. So now when I run, it doesn’t factor for me. It’s the same 100 metres.”
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