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Usain Bolt was put on this planet to run. Arguably the greatest sprinter to walk the face of the earth, Bolt has a few sides to him that many don’t know. We are all probably aware that the great man has a goofy sense of humour, but do we know the more quirky bits about his life?
Here, we have tried to unravel a few of the facts about Bolt that will make his fans admire him even more.
#10 He nearly survived a car crash
A year after achieving superstardom at the Bejing Olympics in 2008, Bolt met with a horrific accident. An excerpt from his autobiography, Faster Than Lightning, reads, “I’d been driving through the countryside with two of my friends from Kingston. I gripped the steering wheel hard.”
The car landed upside down in the ditch. Surprisingly Bolt and his friends escaped unscathed from the incident but the Jamaican learnt his lesson from it. He thanked God and realised that he was born to run faster than any athlete, ever.
#9 He has adopted a cheetah
In 2009, the “world’s fastest man” adopted the animal kingdom’s “fastest sprinter”. Doing his bit to protect wildlife, Bolt adopted a 3-month-old baby cheetah. He paid $13,700 to adopt the cub and named it ‘Lightning Bolt’.
The animal was raised at an animal orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya in an effort to strengthen the wildlife programme.
He even pays regular visits to the zoo to meet his friend and is known to have donated more than $3,000 per year for the care of the animal as well. We would definitely like to see a sprint-off between the two some day.
#8 He has a head-over-heels obsession with Call of Duty
The great man is known for his love for outdoor sports such as cricket and football (he once hit Chris Gayle for a big six). But apart from his obsession with the on-field ball games, he also has a thing for the video game Call of Duty.
A few years ago, Bolt admitted to having day dreams about the game before a race, which helped soothe his nerves. “If I lived in Europe, I’d shut the curtains, play Call of Duty on my Playstation, 24/7, and never go out,” he said in a 2012 interview with the Runner’s World Magazine.
#7 He owns a restaurant in Jamaica
After conquering the track world, Bolt wanted to reign over the culinary world as well. In his bid to test his entrepreneurial skills, he opened a music and sports bar in his hometown of Kingston, which he called ‘Tracks and Records’.
His restaurant’s website reads, “When I’m not competing on the track, I’m enjoying good food and great music, so I wanted to share that side of me with you. So hol’ a vibes at Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records and enjoy its one-of-a-kind experience.”
The restaurant has received some rave reviews from critics and customers alike.
#6 He was born with a rare spine disorder
Bolt was born with scoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature of the spinal cord.
“When I was younger it wasn’t really a problem,” he told ESPN magazine in 2011. “But you grow old and it gets worse. 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.”
Now he doesn’t have to face any more problems because he follows a rigorous back workout regime. It appears as if the man has defeated his ‘Achilles heel’ as well.
#5 He had a cameo appearance in SNL
In 2012, Bolt made a cameo appearance in the opening sketch of the broadcast of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Christina Applegate. Bolt surprisingly appeared on two occasions.
First, he appeared as himself in the mock Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, to a massive cheer from the audience. The second time, he donned a wig and impersonated the then U.S. Vice-president Joe Biden.
He may even go a step further and showcase his acting skills in a movie. As for his fans, well, it wouldn’t hurt to see him in an acting role as they just can’t seem to get enough of him.
#4 He is an ardent fan of Manchester United
Back in 2011, the long-time Manchester United fan told the BBC he wanted to play soccer after retiring from the track. Since then, Bolt has publicly asked United for a tryout. In 2012, then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson said there could be opportunities to give Bolt a tryout.
The request hasn’t been granted just yet, but that hasn’t stopped Bolt from both admiring and chiding United. He said he would love to play for United as long as Louis van Gaal wasn’t the manager. Following the Dutchman’s dismissal and the hiring of new boss Jose Mourinho, Bolt reignited his campaign to play for the Red Devils.
#3 He even has his own app
Bolt has ventured into the smartphone gaming market as well. He has an app named BOLT! which is available on all platforms including Google Playstore and Apple iStore. The game features an animated version of Bolt sprinting from pirates as he collects gold tokens. With a simple flick of the finger, Bolt can jump or slide away from danger.
As he progresses through each level, he collects Gatorade icons (Gatorade is one of Bolt’s sponsors) that fuel his sprint. Collecting Gatorade is necessary to keep playing, but the faster Bolt runs, the more he runs into traps the pirates set out.
#2 He is an active philanthropist
He has set up the ‘Usain Bolt Foundation’ that works for the benefit of local Jamaican youngsters. It harnesses their talent through sporting provisions, improving community structures and also funding talented Jamaicans to make a name for themselves in various disciplines.
Bolt signed a deal with his sponsors Puma to send sporting equipment to his alma mater, Knibb Memorial High School, to help the youngsters follow in its most famous alumni’s footsteps.
He shoots a lot of advertisements in Jamaica to boost the local enterprises. He has been involved with many wildlife conservation organisations as well.
#1 He is fond of chicken nuggets
Bolt reportedly ate 1,000 chicken nuggets over a period of 10 days during his stay in Bejing for the 2008 Summer Olympics. That he won three gold medals after a diet of junk food speaks volumes of the man’s staggering fitness levels.
He even got an offer from the food delivery service Shuttl for a lifetime free supply of his favourite food.
Bolt has developed an appetite for authentic Chinese food in recent times, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he still falls back on nuggets when he finds himself in a place with an unfamiliar cuisine.
