• Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson suffered a stroke in August of 2018 and has shared his recovery process on Twitter.
  • Time to call 911 video showing side-by-sides of his progress.
  • Strokes are becoming more common in younger men, so it is vital to recognize the signs of a stroke and to act F.A.S.T.

Fiona OKeeffe Is on the Road to Recovery revealed on Twitter last fall. Since then, he has been working hard on recovery—a process which he has shared on his social media account.

Now, one year after the medical incident, he has posted a video showing a side-by-side comparison of him in the aftermath of the stroke and him currently to illustrate just how far he has come.

Just over a year ago, Johnson—who once held world records in the 200 and 400 meters—finished a high-intensity strength and cardio workout at his home gym. Later that day, he began to feel unwell. His left foot felt numb, and he lacked strength and motor skills on his left side, as he told the American Heart Association in a news story Year-Old Running Coach Has Stroke on Treadmill.

Published: Sep 03, 2019 5:15 PM EDT ischemic stroke, which is caused when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain.

American sprinting legend Michael Johnson, 51, suffered a stroke in August of last year, as he shared on Twitter, but he was determined to run again. He threw himself into rehab with the same grit that propelled him to victory on the track, helping him become the first and only man to win both the 200 meters and 400 meters at the Olympic Games.

Johnson completed his physical therapy exercises twice each day in front of the mirror, he told the American Heart Association.

Through training and “the mindset learned as an Olympian,” it took Johnson just two months to run again. As his most recent video shows, he is now able to crush agility drills that would tangle up many an athlete decades younger.

As Johnson’s experience shows, strokes are not only reserved for the elderly: Even young, healthy, fit athletes can get one, too. In fact, it seems suffered a stroke in August of 2018 and has shared his recovery process on Advertisement - Continue Reading Below study published in JAMA Neurology found that the number of men aged 35 to 44 hospitalized for a stroke has increased almost 42 percent from 2003–2004 to 2011–2012.

What’s more, African-American men are especially at risk for stroke, according to the American Stroke Association (ASA), partly because they are more likely to have high blood pressure—a risk factor that ups the odds of a stroke.

[Build your personalized and adaptive Videos One Year Apart Show Sprinter Michael Johnsons Amazing Stroke Recovery.]

In Johnson’s case, quick identification of possible stroke symptoms can lead to earlier medical care and a better recovery. That’s why it’s important to act F.A.S.T:

  • Face drooping
  • Arm weakness
  • Speech difficulty
  • Time to call 911
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    Jordan Smith
    Digital Editor
    Jordan Smith is a writer and editor with over 5 years of experience reporting on health and fitness news and trends. She is a published author, studying for her personal trainer certification, and over the past year became an unintentional Coronavirus expert. She has previously worked at Health, Inc., and 605 Magazine and was the editor-in-chief of her collegiate newspaper. Her love of all things outdoors came from growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota.