![]() ![]() "Theimportant thing is that we should perform ourselvesrather than watch others.Click to access Short%20Guide%20to%20GBMI%20-%20Final.pdf "The Greek ideal was that sport should be a preparationfor life in general,"Dr. Bannister chimes in, "I'll tellyou what he does he makes a whole wealth of peoplehappy in Oxford, and of course everywhere else."Apparently, he has started a book reading, philosophy,and walking group, and is an active board member on St.Mary's Development Trust. During the interview, Dr.Bannister humbly denies having great plans for thefuture, at which point Mrs. He and his wife Moyrahave four children and 14 grandchildren, one of whom,at age 3, boasted to his peers that his grandfather had runa mile in 4 seconds. Bannister lives quietly these days nearby the trackwhere his great feat took place. During his years in office, the council developedthe Sport for All program and the first effective drug testfor anabolic steroids, which is still used today.ĭr. Bannister made it a point to give back to his community.He funded a track in his hometown, and in 1971became chairman of the first Sports Council of GreatBritain. ![]() Afteryears of practice, he returned full-fledged to academia,researching and serving as master of Pembroke College,Oxford, from 1985 to 1993.ĭr. In addition to his brief autobiography, hewrote (Heinemann Educational Books 1979)to discuss sports ethics among student-athletes. He wrote several books onhis area of study that have become staple academictexts, such as (Oxford UniversityPress 2003). Bannister is certainly made of the noble stuff ofcharacters pursuing quests. In a recent press interview, hereflects, "If you ask me in my life whether the neurologyis more important or the sport is more important,the neurology tips the scale heavily in its favor becauseit is a never-ending quest."ĭr. His running, although an important pursuit, alwayscame second to medicine. Bannisterexplains, "I've always accepted challenges, and I felt thatto study the brain would be a lifelong challenge, but Imight in some way be able to contribute to some littlebricks in the wall that was being built to some kind offull understanding of the brain." By studyinghow the body reacts to exhaustion andwhat unnecessary movements waste oxygen,he modified his technique, which steadilyimproved his time.Ī few months after his record mile, heretired from competitive running and dedicatedhis time to medicine, combiningresearch with clinical practice as a neurologist.In an interview with, Dr. He kepthis workouts consistent and brief. Bannister used his knowledge of anatomy tohelp develop his training methods. He was inducted into the Student-Athlete Hall of Fame and the Academy of Achievement,was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and has receivednumerous honorary degrees and awards.īefore breaking the mile record, he obtained ascholarship to Oxford University and studied medicineat St. In the true Greek spirit, the 75-year-old physician hascontinued to push past other barriers, for which he hasbeen acknowledged. Everest as the most significant athletic achievementof the 20th century. Bannister's accomplishment alongside the scaling ofMt. When histime was announced, newspapers and radio broadcastersacross the globe exploded. ![]() ![]() "I felt at that moment that it was my chanceto do one thing supremely well,"he writes. Bannister arrived early thatmorning to a gusty campus in Oxford and plunged forthe record. For 9 years, therecord had stood at 4:01.3, and experts hadregarded an under-4-minute mile as aninsurmountable human limitation. His autobiography,(The Lyons Press 2004),recaptures that 3:59.4-minute mile at IffleyRoad, Oxford, in which he became the firstperson to ever break the 4-minute barrier. My legs seemed to feel no resistance at all, asif propelled by some unknown force,"Roger Bannister, MD, recalls of his record-breakingrun on May 6, 1954. ![]()
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