When professional track and field athletes aren't training for the Olympics, they turn to their hobbies. Whether that is playing sports or painting, it is something that is needed to relax after a hard day. But, have you ever wondered what the daily life of track and field athletes looks like?
Here are a few of the most popular athlete hobbies that they engage in when they're not competing for gold medals or setting records.
Usain Bolt - DJ-ing
Usain St.Leo Bolt or typically known as the fastest man alive is an eight-time gold winner and a Summer Olympics champion in the years 2008, 2012, and 2016. He currently holds the record for the fastest 100m run with an astounding time of 9.58 seconds. Additionally, he is the highest-paid track and field runner in history.
Usain St. Leo Bolt was born on August 21st, 1986 in the small Jamaican village, Sherwood Content. In 2001, Bolt competed in his first sprinting race, taking home 2nd place in the 200-meter race and winning the high school championship. He turned professional in 2004 and was the first person to run the 200 meters in under 20 seconds as a junior sprinter.
When it comes to hobbies, Usain stated that he enjoys playing cricket. In one interview, Bolt stated that cricket was his first love. It’s no wonder that this athlete has such an immense fan base. In fact, there are slot games themed after him on live casino sites, and many slot players really enjoy playing that one, because of the connection with the Usain. He stated that he is a big fan of slots and card games. However, one of his favorite table games is roulette, which can be very telling. After all, there are rarely big payouts or a jackpot in roulette, it’s more of a long grind where you need to persevere in order to succeed.
But, who would have thought that the Olympic gold medalist also had a love for DJ-ing? According to one interview, Bolt stated that he is very passionate about music and dancing and that he can be seen DJing in many clubs. Moreover, Usain has a couple of his own songs, with "Country Yutes" being the most popular.
Nick Symmonds Hobby - Youtuber
Nick Symmonds is a two-time Olympian in the 800m run from Idaho in the United States. The now retired 38-year-old now has his own YouTube channel where he puts out videos about fitness and training. It's fair to say the Boise native's channel is doing well as he has amassed nearly a million subscribers, currently at 900,000.
Additionally, the gold medalist is rumored to have an affection for gambling. He is a fan of various table games that are all available at Klarna casino and enjoys playing poker. Moreover, Symmonds has very publicly stated in an interview that he thinks that gambling on track racing should be allowed. He'd argued that it would help boost the sport's popularity and further engage the fans. To be fair to him, allowing gambling in athletics would certainly add an edge to it.
Other than his online career, Symmonds has also taken up writing. Back in 2014, Symmonds wrote an autobiography called Life Outside The Oval Office, which takes a deep dive into his personal life and how he became an Olympian.
Jesse Owens - Coaching
Jesse Owens is a legend among track and field sportsmen and for good reason. The Olympian champion managed to win four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In what was one of the greatest athletic performances in the history of the Olympics, Owens obtained golden medals in:
However, there are many things that not many people know about him. Obviously, most people think of running when they hear Owens' name, but the legendary runner once helped coach the New York Mets. During the 1965 season, the Mets approached Owens for an opening as a special instructor for their spring training program. However, things wouldn't turn out so well for the already struggling Mets as they finished in last place that year.
Mohamed Farah - Fixing Cars
Mohamed Farah is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and the most successful British athlete ever. Mohamed also has six world titles, which makes him the most successful male long track runner in history. Farah won a gold medal in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games for both 5000m and 10,000m.
He once stated that his childhood dream was to be a car mechanic. In that same interview, he also stated that his hidden talent is to mimic animal noises. It seems like this dream grew into a hobby as Mohamed still loves fixing cars. He said that he enjoys breaking apart cars and fixing them. Well, the only thing that matters is that the cars work!
Conclusion
These are some of the unusual hobbies of the most popular track and field athletes ever. Hopefully, you've learned something new about your favorite runner.