Many of you may not know that the fastest man in the world has scoliosis. That’s right. Usain Bolt, Olympic gold medalist, has scoliosis.
In the Dec. 12, 2011 issue of ESPN The Magazine*, Bolt describes how scoliosis affects his training:
“When I was younger it wasn’t really a problem. But you grow and it gets worse. My spine’s really curved bad [makes “S” shape with finger]. But if I keep my core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn’t really bother me. So I don’t have to worry about it as long as I work hard. The early part of my career, when we didn’t really know much about it, it really hampered me because I got injured every year.”
Knowledge is power. With a strong lower back and emphasis on a strong core, Usain Bolt’s spiral spine doesn’t stop him from pursuing his dreams.
Usain Bolt is the picture perfect example of being able to physically do anything you set your mind to, even when dealing with scoliosis.
Do you know other athletes who have scoliosis? Leave your comments in the space below.
I am a runner with scoliosis, I have a 32 degree curve in my lower back and a 25 degree curve in the mid upper part of my back. It definitely bothers me and sometimes I thought of quitting running but doing a lot of stretching and working on making my back stronger has helped.
I am a competitive swimmer and my goal is to make the Olympics. Then I was diagnosed with scoliosis and it got so bad that I had to have the surgery for it and now I have rods in my back keeping my back straight. Making the Olympics is still my goal, it’s still my dream.
Natalie Coughlin has scoli. Obviously, scoliosis didn’t hold her back from swimming at the olympics. You MUST find a great myofascial therapist and Pilates instructor to work on you and cross-train you to keep your body healthy while training for the Olympics. I know Natalie’s training in CA and he’s amazing. I also happen to know she has a small Pilates studio in her home so she can do Pilates on her own when she’s not at her trainer’s studio. You’ve got to have a team to help you. Keep reaching for the stars, Eve! I can’t wait to see you on the podium. Blessings, Erin
I am the patient of scoliosis. Having 44 degree nd 54 degree angle of s shape.i know how difficult it is.in day to day life n number of problems I have facing.i also have the balancing problem while standing.so it is really a big thing nd motivation also that usain bolt won not only the n number of medals but he also he is the fastest person on the earth with the major physical issues.so salute to usain.
He really works hard so this is why he is a champion. Go Usain Bolt go.
It looks like a little scoliosis may be 15 ° so quite nothing , not comparable to a real impact scoliosis starting bad effects from 25° to more. I don’t like that kind of article because make believe that a scoliosis is not a problem, bolt scoliosis must be called “minor scoliosis” and much more minor that he have intensive exercices with a daily coach.
Even “minor” scoliosis can drastically affect someone, especially when they are one of the world’s best athletes. When your body has to work perfectly, which his has to in order to perform at the level it does, the most minor misalignment can totally throw the body off. I’ve seen many clients with “minor” scoli that complain of severe pain due to the misalignment in the body. He has done an amazing job and so have his coaches at not letting scoli slow him down.
Yeah that’s totally right, mine progressed quite quickly but even before it got bad enough for surgery it caused quite a lot of pain and balance issues when I was doing athletics and it was far from the intense training which Usain Bolt will have to do
Although his scoliosis may not be severe, it still greatly affects him in his running which makes his accomplishments all that more impressive. Even though he is the greatest sprinter to ever live, his scoliosis causes him to have the worst form of any sprinter at or near his level. The Proper sprinting form requires your upper body to be completely upright with no movement, but because of his scoliosis, this is not possible causing him to have a lot of movement in his upper body slowing him down and using more energy than necessary. Also, out of the blocks you are supposed to shoot out straight and he can’t causing him to run more side to side. This is also a reason why he isn’t the same caliber 400m sprinter as he is in the 100m and 200m. Although his height and build are perfect for the 400m, his form uses too much energy for him to keep strong throughout the entire race.
That was an absolutely awesome blurb, Adam. Thanks for your insight.
Dear Ed, I’m a dancer and I have scoliosis, which is qualified for surgery. (38* and 35*). But because of my back and core muscles it doesn’t seem big. I mean, it’s hard to see if I do really have back problems. So please, have some respect to Usain Bolt, who – because of his hard work – is a champion. If you can’t see his scoliosis it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it.