Michael Johnson, one of the greatest sprinters of all time, won four Olympic gold medals, eight World Championships and held world and Olympic records. Once the fastest person ever to run 200 meters, he covered the distance in 19.32 seconds in Atlanta in 1996.
He dedicated his life to a healthy lifestyle. Yet after retiring from competitive sports, at age 50, he suffered a stroke that left him unable to walk.
[RELATED: What Are the Warning Signs of a Stroke?]
Michael Johnson’s Stroke
“I went to the MRI, and typically I fall asleep, and I did,” Johnson says. “And when I woke up, I tried to get off the table, and I couldn’t walk at all. My left leg had no coordination. I could no longer move my fingers in my left hand. I certainly couldn’t move my fingers or point. I was just numb.”
In that moment, shock and fear of the unknown hit Johnson, who is now 55 years old and living in Malibu, California. In his post-Olympic life, Johnson spends his time running Michael Johnson Performance and speaking publicly to companies about performance. He eagerly waited for the chance to try to walk again and assess the severity of his injury so he could start processing his future.
The doctors had him rest in bed for several days before they allowed him to use a stationary bike in his room. By the third day in the hospital, he became strong enough to start walking with a walker, and then without it. He built up enough coordination and strength to walk around the hospital floor.
“Crazy enough, after we walked around the hospital floor and got back to my room, it took me about 10 minutes,” Johnson says. “And I looked around and thought, ‘That was about 200 meters. I held the world record in that distance at 19.32 seconds, and it just took me 10 minutes.'”
[READ: Stroke Rehabilitation: What to Know]
Mentality, Patience and Self Awareness for Recovery
Johnson learned a lot in that 200-meter walk. His physical therapist coached him on alignment, biomechanics and subtle techniques that resonated with his athletic mind. Afterwards, he felt like he was in control of his future. He knew his stroke recovery might take a long time, but for someone who worked nine years to shave six-tenths of a second off his 400 meter sprint to break a world record, it was familiar territory.
Having spent his life training, Johnson says he was familiar with the experience of having tough days where hard work doesn’t feel like it’s paying off. “And having the ability to not get discouraged from that, and know that, that’s part of it. And still, I’m going to come back tomorrow and hit it just as hard. My familiarity with that was critical.”
Stroke Rehabilitation Timeline
For several months, he completed physical therapy three times a week, along with home workouts that consisted of bodyweight exercises, coordination, balance and specific, functional moving patterns. He developed his fine motor skills in his fingers and hands. He played crossword puzzles, memory and processing games on an iPad to help repair his brain. This often left him exhausted, leading him to prioritize many naps and good sleep, which also helped to heal his brain.
In just over one month’s time, he was walking on his own without a limp and he was able to use his fingers to type. In six months, he felt fully recovered to the extent he was able to function and enjoy life. In a year, he perfected the mechanics of walking to where it was automatic. Currently, he only notices slight discrepancies in his left side while performing very intricate, power-based exercises.
Dr. Alhamza Al-Bayati is a neuroendovascular surgeon and vascular neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Stroke Institute and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He says that it is crucial to avoid further injuring yourself while recovering from a stroke. Generally, patients will experience the majority of progress from rehabilitation within the first 3 to 6 months after their stroke. During this time, the brain is most receptive to rewiring and adapting to new neural pathways to compensate for the brain tissue compromised by the stroke. Some patients may continue to experience improvements for years.
The most important part of stroke recovery is for patients to avoid setbacks caused by over-ambitious rehab, Dr. Al-Bayati says. “In this aspiring course of recovery, don’t overdo things unless you test things out. Take things stepwise. Slowly build your stamina. It’s all about maintaining a gradual increase in your program.”
[READ: Mental Benefits of Exercise.]
A Deadly Threat That Can Affect Anyone
Al-Bayati says that a stroke occurs when there is an obstruction or reduction of blood flow to the brain. There are two types of stroke. An ischemic stroke, which Johnson experienced, makes up approximately 85% of all cases, and occurs when blood vessels providing blood to the brain are blocked by a blood clot. The second is a hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when blood vessels in the brain rupture or leak and lead to bleeding in the brain. This is less common and results in a higher mortality rate.
According to the World Health Organization, stroke is the second leading cause of death globally, and is responsible for approximately 11% of all deaths. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Over 17 million people experience a stroke each year and there are about 80 million stroke survivors worldwide, many of whom suffer from long-term disability because of their stroke.
Exercise Helps Prevent, Not Eliminate the Risk of Stroke
Before his stroke, Johnson was in excellent shape. He had routine blood work done and visited his doctors regularly to stay proactive about his well-being.
“There’s no reason I should have had the stroke because I was in fantastic shape,” Johnson says. “I didn’t have any of the lifestyle issues that will typically lead to a person having a greater risk of stroke. No family history. I work out every day.”
According to Al-Bayati, the risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, heart conditions like atrial fibrillation, a family history of stroke or blood clotting disorder, age and race or ethnicity.
While exercise, a healthy lifestyle and medication profoundly help to manage many of these conditions, there is a possibility of suffering a stroke randomly. The causes of one-third of all strokes are unknown.
A Sudden Emergency That Requires Immediate Attention
When Johnson’s stroke occurred, he knew something was off. He had difficulty walking and balancing after a workout. He went to the hospital immediately, which helped lessen the severity of his symptoms.
The acronym BEFAST is used for recognizing key features of stroke symptoms. It stands for balance, eye or visual changes, facial droop or weakness, arm or leg weakness, speech difficulties and time to call emergency services. Symptoms vary in duration and severity depending on where the stroke occurrs in the brain and how impactful to the brain blood flow it is.
One of the most important considerations when a stroke occurs is how quickly you act upon the sudden-onset symptoms, Al-Bayati says. “Every time we see a patient, the very first question is, ‘When was the patient last seen normal?’ The baseline, hammering that time, is extremely crucial.”
Al-Bayati says that in some cases, if a patient arrives within the first few hours from the time they were first experiencing symptoms, they can administer a medication to dissolve the blood clot in the brain. Moreover, once brain imaging confirms the presence of a blood clot in an approachable location, certain specialized centers like UPMC can offer a novel, minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove that clot and restore the blood flow to the brain.
Living a Fulfilling Life Beyond Stroke
Now, Johnson speaks about his own experience with stroke, spreads awareness about prevention and helps others unpack the mental and physical challenges in recovery. He hikes with his dog and finds meaning in working with people and companies.
“I’m just enjoying life. I try to do the right things, treat people well and be thankful for my own situation and be humble,” Johnson says. “It has helped me through this and all challenges. I’m always trying to be better. Be a better person, being better at what I do. Being driven by my goals but also being very humble and recognizing how fortunate I am in life.”
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How Olympic Track Legend Michael Johnson Recovered From a Stroke originally appeared on usnews.com
