Editor’s note: This letter is in response to the death of American decathlete and actor Rafer Johnson on Dec. 2, 2020.
One of the attributes that wasn’t well-known during Rafer Johnson’s brilliant career was his consistent willingness to give back to his sport and help up-and-coming decathletes any way he could. I had the pleasure of working with Rafer for six years spanning the Barcelona and Atlanta Summer Olympics and witnessed firsthand his proactive support and positive engagement with the top U.S. decathletes of the day, Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson, as well as with the eight other star decathletes who comprised the USA/Visa Decathlon Team and the Visa Gold Medal Athlete Program.
In almost unheard of fashion, and in concert with fellow U.S. decathlete gold medalists Bob Mathias, Milt Campbell, Bill Toomey and Bruce Jenner, Rafer worked without endorsement fees to participate in clinics, deliver motivational speeches, and help publicize the efforts of the decathletes, a particularly under-the-radar athletic group.
One of Rafer’s most valuable lessons to the younger athletes referenced the attitude needed to succeed in the grueling 10-event sport. His advice was to “stay in the here and now” and “focus on what you can control,” rather than dwelling on the event that just occurred or looking too far ahead to events later in the schedule. His strategy was to laser in on the immediately upcoming discipline.
His contributions to his sport far exceeded his own competitive success.
Jim Millman
New York, N.Y.
Questions about OPED guidelines or letters to the editor? Email editor Jake Kyler at jkyler@sportsbusinessjournal.com
