“Smokey” John Reaves, a good friend of mine, raised his family just across the street from Paul and Ruby Johnson in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. The Johnsons enjoyed watching five children grow up in their house. Michael, now the most famous of their children, brought home gold medals in the 200 meter and 400 meter races with big wins at the recently completed Olympics in Atlanta. His world record mark in the 200 meter amazed even the most seasoned track fans.

        Not long ago,  “Smokey” told me that Michael’s success didn’t come easy. While a student at Skyline High School, Michael Johnson lost races on a regular basis to another young man from another Dallas high school. No matter how hard Michael worked, the other kid always found a way to win.  “Smokey” told me that everyone in Dallas who followed track and field thought the other kid would end up in the Olympics. In 1988, he pulled a quadriceps and missed the entire outdoor season. Food poisoning two weeks before the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona prevented him from making the 200 meter finals.

        Today Michael Johnson enjoys hero status across the nation and around the world. He faced and overcame all the disappointments to stay on course to his goal.

        How do we explain an  “overcoming” life like Michael Johnson's?  “Smokey” is certain he knows.

        “Every holiday you'll see five cars parked in front of the Johnson home. All the children come back to celebrate together",  “Smokey” reports.  “Michael is who he is today because of the kind if mother and father he had and because the family is strong and stable.” Or as sportswriter Steve Wulf noted before the Olympic games,  “…one of the reasons Johnson flies faster than anyone else is that he is so well grounded.” (Time, Special Edition, Summer 1996, p. 56)

        If you were fortunate enough to catch one of Michael's Olympic victories, you probably saw his mother and father beaming with pride as they celebrated his victory. And you likely caught a glimpse of his love for and gratitude to both of them. Michael and his four siblings all graduated from college. All five reflect the strength, the values and the honor if their parents.

        As a married person or as a parent, the next time you catch yourself trying to decide what is really important in life, remember Michael Johnson. Don’t remember him only for his medals. Remember him for his foundation: a stable home built by a man and woman who understand what life is all about.