Charles Barkley and George Foreman shared similar experiences of feeling overwhelmed after winning a gold medal at the Olympics.
Advertisement
Most sportspersons know of no higher honor than that of representing their home country. A part of the reason many individuals pursue the glory of winning is their patriotism.
This feeling of nationalistic pride is what propels many athletes to outperform their own selves for their countries. The added weight of carrying a nation’s hopes somehow becomes a catalyst for the success of many sporting greats.
There’s also no sporting event more hallowed than the Olympics, barring maybe the FIFA World Cup. Winning a gold in the Olympics is the ultimate dream for most sportspersons. The likes of George Foreman and Charles Barkley are no different from other athletes in this regard.
George Foreman and Charles Barkley explain the feeling of winning an Olympics gold medal
Much like Muhammad Ali before him, George Foreman burst onto the scene as the winner of an Olympics gold medal. The oldest heavyweight champion ever was earlier one of the youngest Olympics boxing champions of all time.
At the age of 19, Foreman represented the USA and won the gold medal in the heavyweight boxing division. Despite winning the unified world boxing championships at the age of 45, Foreman claimed that this was the moment he cherishes the most in an interview:
“(It was) The greatest moment of my life. I was 19, I hadn’t ever had a dream come true ever in my life. Every day I kept thinking ‘I can do something else’. All the other babies come second to the Olympics.”
Charles Barkley, who represented Team USA at the Olympics in 1992 and 1996, agreed with this sentiment:
“I’ve been blessed to go to the Olympics twice and I agree with Mr. Foreman. When you’re standing up there and they’re playing the national anthem, I couldn’t believe the chills I was getting in my body.”
“I did a lot of really fun stuff, but when you’re standing on the podium and they’re playing the national anthem, you feel a certain type of way. My heart was racing, I was getting goosebumps, so I know exactly what he’s talking about.”
Foreman is the subject of a biopic
Given that he’s led an extraordinary sporting life, it’s not surprising that George Foreman’s story is being made into a biographical movie on his life.
Big George Foreman is scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, April 28th. The role of Foreman in this movie will be played by Khris Davis.
