Glen Mills: The Coach Behind Usain Bolt and other Jamaican Champions

Glen Mills is the head coach at Racers Track Club in Kingston, and while he does not have one athletics’ medal, his coaching abilities have made a significant mark on track and field sports. His Racer’s Track Club tutees have won a total of 71 medals at he IAAF World Championships and another 33 medals at Olympic competitions. Nineteen of these medals were won by Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history, and one who praises his coach with enthusiasm every chance he gets. Glen abandoned his track-and-field ambitions at the age of 14, when he was mentored by Camperdown High School’s coach Henry McDonald Messam. He performed odd jobs at the track and ultimately became mentor and instructor to a younger group of athletes. Mills as been coaching for 42 years and has a deep reserve of experience that he uses to nurture many of the best athletes in history. Mills has worked to understand anatomy, agility, coordination, and biochemical analysis, in addition to identifying talent. He has honed his craft through associations with the IOC, IAAF, and other prestigious organizations. After a disappointing performance at the Athens Olympics, Usain Bolt turned to Mills to help him fulfill his promise as an athlete. Mills recognized Bolt’s natural talents, but also noted his poor technique, which he went about remedying over a two-year period devoted to breaking Bolt’s bad habits. Mills takes a technical approach to coaching, focusing on details and intricacies in race photographs, and balancing the psychological elements of each athlete. He integrates motivational work with daily routines in order to create well-rounded people rather than just “speed machines.” Central to Mill’s approach is the idea that athletes “must lose in order to learn to win.” His athletes have faith in him because of the strong physical and psychological grounding he provides.