Hall of Fame Track and Field Coach Brooks Johnson is an icon. Runners and hurdlers from around the world travel to Florida to train with him. He’s not only coached four U.S. Olympic teams, he’s also coached an athlete in every Summer Olympic Games since 1968. 

His biggest name athlete these days is David Oliver, who recently won the 110m high hurdles world championship in Moscow. Oliver was a bronze medalist in Beijing but failed to make the London games due to an injury. Everyone thought his career, everyone but his coach. 

Coach Johnson describes how he coaches his athletes, particularly those who everyone else thinks are past their prime, and what their lessons can teach anyone in life. 

Plus, he shares the mantra he’s lived by for the past couple decades and why at 80 he has no plans of slowing down. He explains how we can all learn to live like jazz musicians and improvise.