His achievements don’t come as a surprise for most people, as Stephen Bird was one of the top 100 runners in the world. In his three main events, he has never been beaten. He is also a former World Champion in 3000m Steeplechase and held many British records during his career.

Having accomplished so much, what motivated Bird to make such an impact on athletics? Well, that’s where it gets interesting. The answer lies with his inspiration, his coach. His coach, Frank Horwill, is known as the godfather of athletics in England. Even though Horwill is one of the most dominant coaches of all time, it wasn’t his successes that motivated Bird to become a runner. Instead, he wanted to impress him.

That’s right; this man was running hard when he probably should have been sleeping just because he enjoyed the idea of impressing someone else. That’s the kind of dedication that is needed to be a champion.

Stephen Bird was born on February 24, 1964, in Cambridge, England. He was born into a family that valued education and hard work, and he took those values to heart. Bird attended The King’s School in Canterbury where he threw himself into running as his way of staying fit. As a junior athlete Bird was very good at several events including the long jump, high jump and javelin throw.

His family encouraged him to try out for the University of Cambridge’s athletics team. He was given a place on the squad in 1982, and after three years at Cambridge he decided to enter the world of professional sports. Bird moved on to join the British Athletics Federation where he became their top sprinter. He was always a favorite for the gold, but his hopes were dashed that year when Carl Lewis beat him. After that defeat, Bird went into a downward spiral where he thought about quitting running all together. Find out more about Stephen Bird at https://www.crunchbase.com/person/stephen-bird