Whatever it Takes
Living Life the Rafer Johnson Way
You would be hard pressed to find a resident of Kingsburg who has not uttered the words ‘Rafer Johnson.’ After all, there is Rafer Johnson Drive, Rafer Johnson Track at Kingsburg High School and Rafer Johnson Junior High. And he is part of a larger-than-life mural on Marion and Draper Streets where he can be seen carrying the torch in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. But when you ask many residents in Kingsburg ‘Who is Rafer Johnson?’ They’ll say ‘He was an Olympic Gold Medalist.’ They might even know that he won the medal for the decathlon in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Yet only describing him by that accomplishment is sorely diminishing the accomplishments he achieved before and after the Olympics in Rome. This article is written with the hopes that his story will help the reader to fully understand and admire Rafer Johnson, and also to inspire us all.
In his autobiography, The Best That I Can Be, Johnson artfully breaks down his life into ten phases, just as there are ten events in the decathlon.
100 meters
Long jump
Shot put
High jump
400 meters
110 meters hurdles
Discus throw
Pole vault
Javelin throw
1500 meters
Each event requires a different skill set. The entire two-day decathlon requires a mental and physical strength that many would say makes the winner the best athlete in the world. “Being a decathlete is not like being a jack of all trades and master of none; it’s more like being a master of ten trades,” Johnson explains.
Born in 1935 in Hillsboro, Texas, Johnson was the oldest of five children. They struggled to make ends meet. As a black family in 1930’s Texas they were segregated in an all-black community. Johnson’s father was heavy on discipline. This would be considered a very dismal start for most, however Johnson states in his autobiography, “The whippings I received paid off in their own way. I was able to turn the experience to my advantage once I realized something crucial: pain was temporary, and I could handle it.”
In 1946 the Johnson family moved to Kingsburg. While they had a good Swedish last name, they were the only black family in the city with a population of 2,500. Kingsburg was quite unlike Texas. The residents of Kingsburg embraced the family and for the most part treated them like anyone else. Johnson believes that the way he grew up in Kingsburg helped to give him the opportunities that he received. However a tragic event happened when he was ten. He states, “My capacity for turning all of Kingsburg into a playground once led to a crisis that could have put an end to my chances of an athletic future.” He and his siblings liked to sneak onto the Del Monte Cannery conveyor belts and ride down, jumping off just in time. Unfortunately, Johnson missed his timing once causing his foot to catch in the belt and subsequently sliced the sole of his left foot. The pain was excruciating and the recovery long. The foot never recovered fully and still causes pain today. This may have been the time that a person would decide not to be an athlete, with experiencing such discomfort constantly. Instead, Johnson continued playing every sport he could, deciding that it would hurt whether or not he was an athlete, so why not continue to do what he loved?
In high school, Johnson’s obvious athletic ability inspired Track Coach Murl Dodson to encourage him to consider the decathlon. Bob Mathias, the two-time Olympic decathlon gold medalist was from Tulare, which was fortuitist for Johnson. The region was very familiar with the event and Coach Dodson was able to expose him to events in the area set up because of Mathias. He began training and competing in events that would hone his skills. As he continued to excel, it became apparent that he was a definite contender for the Olympic team. At this juncture, most people would focus on this aspect of their future. However, Johnson continued to compete in baseball, basketball, football and track and field, hold down a job, be a member of several clubs and groups, become Student Body President and attend church once or twice a week.
Because of his grueling schedule, Johnson realized that he needed to create a strategy that would help him be equally successful in his studies, he states, “I made a key decision: to study with the smartest kids in every subject. I had already discovered that working out with others keeps you motivated, reveals your weaknesses and firms up your strengths, and I figured if it worked in sports it ought to work in academics.” He graduated from Kingsburg High School with all A’s except for two B’s in Physical Education, ironically.
After high school, Johnson was courted by several colleges. He most likely could have gone to any college he wanted. He selected UCLA for several reasons but most notably they offered him both an academic and athletic scholarship, which meant he could be more in control of where he spent his time. And, he liked their track and field coach, Elvin “Ducky” Drake. Johnson and Drake would end up having a life-long relationship first as coach and athlete, then as friends later.
In now typical Johnson manner, he delved into campus life at UCLA as he had in Kingsburg. He belonged to several clubs and groups, belonged to a fraternity, was very involved in church and their activities, played basketball and competed in track and field, maintained good grades all while continuing to train for the decathlon. He began to compete internationally in 1955 and began breaking records. He was becoming a national sports hero and international athletic threat. Powerhouse media such as Sports Illustrated and The Ed Sullivan Show promoted his ascent. In 1956 he competed in the Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia. His knee had been injured (later needing an operation) and he was forced to complete the grueling two day, ten event competition with it swelling and throbbing continuously. He then tore a stomach muscle in the long jump (the second out of ten events). As a result he only took the silver medal. For most of us, that would be amazing. But Johnson said, “Losing was the biggest letdown in my life, and what made it worse was the thought that I had let down others – I cried inconsolably for three days.”
By now, Johnson was representing the United States in a variety of ways. His ability to publicly speak, coupled with his gracious demeanor provided him with a host of opportunities throughout the world. Because his schedule had become so full, he had to switch from his academic scholarship to an athletic one in order to reduce his class load. In his senior year at UCLA Johnson ran for and won UCLA’s Student Body President. It provided Johnson with an opportunity to champion issues that he believed in. By now, he was very used to and comfortable with the spot light. He fully understood that he had an important responsibility to be a good role model and to try to make the world a better place. Johnson said, “I was getting used to being a bridge between two worlds and I would play that role the rest of my life, bridging Jew and Christian, white and black, American and Russian, rich and poor, old and young, disabled and able. I later realized that trying to build bridges between people can bring resentment and heartache as well as respect and satisfaction.”
Just months before the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Johnson was in a car accident which injured his back. The bottom portion of his spinal cord was badly injured, some of the bone was crushed and the tailbone was slightly bent. This prevented him from fully preparing for the Olympic trials. They were only a month away before he was able to fully train. Most people might find it impossible to prepare for such a challenging goal in such a short amount of time. But amazingly, Johnson not only made the Olympic team, but shattered the world record. Next came Rome, where inclement weather altered the timing and pace of the decathlon. It did not matter. Johnson not only finally earned his gold medal but broke his own world record in the process.
Up until now, Johnson’s life had been filled with very difficult situations and very amazing opportunities. These experiences seemed to intertwine to mold the 25 year old who now had to look for a career. It was a natural progression to be sought after by Hollywood. Johnson would appear in several movies and meet many, many celebrities. He became a sports caster for NBC, while always being asked to give speeches or represent the United States in good will efforts. It’s during this time that he met Bobby Kennedy and became close friends with him and his family. When Kennedy decided to run for President, Johnson was naturally heavily involved in the campaign. When Kennedy was fatally shot while on the campaign trail Johnson helped to subdue the murderer, Sirhan, Sirhan. Most people who witnessed the murder of one of their closest friends would become bitter and hateful. But Johnson found that being involved with the Special Olympics was the elixir he needed to begin healing from the ordeal.
He became an executive for a major national company and continued to contribute in many other ways to improve things locally, nationally and internationally. He married and has two children, now grown and four grandchildren. He and his wife Betsy live in Sherman Oaks, CA and continue to visit Kingsburg often. In fact, Johnson hands out the promotion certificates at his namesake’s junior high promotion ceremony each year. His motto, and the name of his autobiography are not merely words. He has always practiced to be The Best That He Can Be, and with typical Johnson humility also strives to help others to do the same.
Writers note: Meeting Rafer Johnson and getting to know him a bit only solidified the high degree of respect I have for this man. I encourage you to read his book. While I choose to write this article as an inspiration to the reader, there are many other ways it could have been presented. His influence on Kingsburg and on the world in general during a very tumultuous time gives an entirely different prospective of his unique and generous character.
Living Life the Rafer Johnson Way
You would be hard pressed to find a resident of Kingsburg who has not uttered the words ‘Rafer Johnson.’ After all, there is Rafer Johnson Drive, Rafer Johnson Track at Kingsburg High School and Rafer Johnson Junior High. And he is part of a larger-than-life mural on Marion and Draper Streets where he can be seen carrying the torch in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. But when you ask many residents in Kingsburg ‘Who is Rafer Johnson?’ They’ll say ‘He was an Olympic Gold Medalist.’ They might even know that he won the medal for the decathlon in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Yet only describing him by that accomplishment is sorely diminishing the accomplishments he achieved before and after the Olympics in Rome. This article is written with the hopes that his story will help the reader to fully understand and admire Rafer Johnson, and also to inspire us all.
In his autobiography, The Best That I Can Be, Johnson artfully breaks down his life into ten phases, just as there are ten events in the decathlon.
100 meters
Long jump
Shot put
High jump
400 meters
110 meters hurdles
Discus throw
Pole vault
Javelin throw
1500 meters
Each event requires a different skill set. The entire two-day decathlon requires a mental and physical strength that many would say makes the winner the best athlete in the world. “Being a decathlete is not like being a jack of all trades and master of none; it’s more like being a master of ten trades,” Johnson explains.
Born in 1935 in Hillsboro, Texas, Johnson was the oldest of five children. They struggled to make ends meet. As a black family in 1930’s Texas they were segregated in an all-black community. Johnson’s father was heavy on discipline. This would be considered a very dismal start for most, however Johnson states in his autobiography, “The whippings I received paid off in their own way. I was able to turn the experience to my advantage once I realized something crucial: pain was temporary, and I could handle it.”
In 1946 the Johnson family moved to Kingsburg. While they had a good Swedish last name, they were the only black family in the city with a population of 2,500. Kingsburg was quite unlike Texas. The residents of Kingsburg embraced the family and for the most part treated them like anyone else. Johnson believes that the way he grew up in Kingsburg helped to give him the opportunities that he received. However a tragic event happened when he was ten. He states, “My capacity for turning all of Kingsburg into a playground once led to a crisis that could have put an end to my chances of an athletic future.” He and his siblings liked to sneak onto the Del Monte Cannery conveyor belts and ride down, jumping off just in time. Unfortunately, Johnson missed his timing once causing his foot to catch in the belt and subsequently sliced the sole of his left foot. The pain was excruciating and the recovery long. The foot never recovered fully and still causes pain today. This may have been the time that a person would decide not to be an athlete, with experiencing such discomfort constantly. Instead, Johnson continued playing every sport he could, deciding that it would hurt whether or not he was an athlete, so why not continue to do what he loved?
In high school, Johnson’s obvious athletic ability inspired Track Coach Murl Dodson to encourage him to consider the decathlon. Bob Mathias, the two-time Olympic decathlon gold medalist was from Tulare, which was fortuitist for Johnson. The region was very familiar with the event and Coach Dodson was able to expose him to events in the area set up because of Mathias. He began training and competing in events that would hone his skills. As he continued to excel, it became apparent that he was a definite contender for the Olympic team. At this juncture, most people would focus on this aspect of their future. However, Johnson continued to compete in baseball, basketball, football and track and field, hold down a job, be a member of several clubs and groups, become Student Body President and attend church once or twice a week.
Because of his grueling schedule, Johnson realized that he needed to create a strategy that would help him be equally successful in his studies, he states, “I made a key decision: to study with the smartest kids in every subject. I had already discovered that working out with others keeps you motivated, reveals your weaknesses and firms up your strengths, and I figured if it worked in sports it ought to work in academics.” He graduated from Kingsburg High School with all A’s except for two B’s in Physical Education, ironically.
After high school, Johnson was courted by several colleges. He most likely could have gone to any college he wanted. He selected UCLA for several reasons but most notably they offered him both an academic and athletic scholarship, which meant he could be more in control of where he spent his time. And, he liked their track and field coach, Elvin “Ducky” Drake. Johnson and Drake would end up having a life-long relationship first as coach and athlete, then as friends later.
In now typical Johnson manner, he delved into campus life at UCLA as he had in Kingsburg. He belonged to several clubs and groups, belonged to a fraternity, was very involved in church and their activities, played basketball and competed in track and field, maintained good grades all while continuing to train for the decathlon. He began to compete internationally in 1955 and began breaking records. He was becoming a national sports hero and international athletic threat. Powerhouse media such as Sports Illustrated and The Ed Sullivan Show promoted his ascent. In 1956 he competed in the Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia. His knee had been injured (later needing an operation) and he was forced to complete the grueling two day, ten event competition with it swelling and throbbing continuously. He then tore a stomach muscle in the long jump (the second out of ten events). As a result he only took the silver medal. For most of us, that would be amazing. But Johnson said, “Losing was the biggest letdown in my life, and what made it worse was the thought that I had let down others – I cried inconsolably for three days.”
By now, Johnson was representing the United States in a variety of ways. His ability to publicly speak, coupled with his gracious demeanor provided him with a host of opportunities throughout the world. Because his schedule had become so full, he had to switch from his academic scholarship to an athletic one in order to reduce his class load. In his senior year at UCLA Johnson ran for and won UCLA’s Student Body President. It provided Johnson with an opportunity to champion issues that he believed in. By now, he was very used to and comfortable with the spot light. He fully understood that he had an important responsibility to be a good role model and to try to make the world a better place. Johnson said, “I was getting used to being a bridge between two worlds and I would play that role the rest of my life, bridging Jew and Christian, white and black, American and Russian, rich and poor, old and young, disabled and able. I later realized that trying to build bridges between people can bring resentment and heartache as well as respect and satisfaction.”
Just months before the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Johnson was in a car accident which injured his back. The bottom portion of his spinal cord was badly injured, some of the bone was crushed and the tailbone was slightly bent. This prevented him from fully preparing for the Olympic trials. They were only a month away before he was able to fully train. Most people might find it impossible to prepare for such a challenging goal in such a short amount of time. But amazingly, Johnson not only made the Olympic team, but shattered the world record. Next came Rome, where inclement weather altered the timing and pace of the decathlon. It did not matter. Johnson not only finally earned his gold medal but broke his own world record in the process.
Up until now, Johnson’s life had been filled with very difficult situations and very amazing opportunities. These experiences seemed to intertwine to mold the 25 year old who now had to look for a career. It was a natural progression to be sought after by Hollywood. Johnson would appear in several movies and meet many, many celebrities. He became a sports caster for NBC, while always being asked to give speeches or represent the United States in good will efforts. It’s during this time that he met Bobby Kennedy and became close friends with him and his family. When Kennedy decided to run for President, Johnson was naturally heavily involved in the campaign. When Kennedy was fatally shot while on the campaign trail Johnson helped to subdue the murderer, Sirhan, Sirhan. Most people who witnessed the murder of one of their closest friends would become bitter and hateful. But Johnson found that being involved with the Special Olympics was the elixir he needed to begin healing from the ordeal.
He became an executive for a major national company and continued to contribute in many other ways to improve things locally, nationally and internationally. He married and has two children, now grown and four grandchildren. He and his wife Betsy live in Sherman Oaks, CA and continue to visit Kingsburg often. In fact, Johnson hands out the promotion certificates at his namesake’s junior high promotion ceremony each year. His motto, and the name of his autobiography are not merely words. He has always practiced to be The Best That He Can Be, and with typical Johnson humility also strives to help others to do the same.
Writers note: Meeting Rafer Johnson and getting to know him a bit only solidified the high degree of respect I have for this man. I encourage you to read his book. While I choose to write this article as an inspiration to the reader, there are many other ways it could have been presented. His influence on Kingsburg and on the world in general during a very tumultuous time gives an entirely different prospective of his unique and generous character.