"We have some failure"- Michael Johnson backs Masai Russell's inspirational message after USATF Indoor victory 

Legendary track athlete Michael Johnson shared his thoughts on Masai Russell's inspirational message after she won the gold medal in the women's 60m at the USATF Indoor Championships 2025. The American athlete shared an anecdote from his journey as an athlete and urged people to never give up on themselves amid failures.

After winning the USATF Indoor title, Masai Russell took to X to share she won two national titles as a pro athlete but never as a collegiate athlete. Russell revealed that despite shortcomings as a collegiate athlete, she believed in her abilities and focussed on improving her performance rather than being disappointed by failure.

Michael Johnson reacted to Masai Russell's message and agreed to it completely, sharing a highlight of his journey as an athlete before achieving glory on the Olympic track. Johnson revealed that he had never won a state championship as a high school athlete and won an NCAA outdoor title after three consecutive failed attempts.

Furthermore, he couldn't win an individual Olympic medal on his first appearance. However, he remained determined and believed in himself throughout his journey as an athlete while navigating through failures. He urged upcoming athletes to never be deterred by failures but consider them a stepping stone to success.

"Preach! No HS state championship. Finally won one NCAA outdoor championship after 3 failed attempts. Failed first Olympic team attempt. Success on the second attempt but failed to win an individual medal. We have some failure. We have more success! Never count yourself out," he wrote.

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Michael Johnson on his motivation while competing at the top level

Michael Johnson competes at the 1992 Olympics - Men's 4 x 400 relay - Source: Getty

Michael Johnson spoke about his mindset and motivation while competing in major sporting events in a conversation with Tom Chick. The American athlete revealed that he would get motivated by setting massive goals and targets while competing alongside some of the best athletes in the world.

"My motivation came from the goals I set, from within, they were my goals and they were important for me to accomplish. Sure there is motivation that comes from expectations, from medals, fans and financial rewards, they can be great," he said.

"But you are not going to get the work, the commitment, the dedication, the self discovery that is required to be successful day in day out for what someone else wants for you, vs what you want for yourself," he added.

Johnson revealed how he would often visualize the race while preparing to handle the situation effectively to deal with the pressure of competing on the global stage. Moreover, he shared that self-belief was an important factor that fueled his motivation.