Usain Bolt Biography

• NAME: Usain Bolt
• OCCUPATION: Track and Field Athlete
• BIRTH DATE: August 21, 1986 (Age: 25)
• PLACE OF BIRTH: Trelawny, Jamaica
• ZODIAC SIGN: Leo

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is arguably the fastest man in the world, winning three gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and becoming the first man in Olympic history to win both the 100-meter and 200-meter races in record times. Bolt won his fourth Olympic gold medal in the men's 100-meter race at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, beating rival Yohan Blake, who took silver. Bolt ran the race in 9.63 seconds,a new Olympic record. The win marked Bolt's second consecutive gold medal in the 100.

Early Life

Usain Bolt was born in Jamaica on August 21, 1986. Both a standout cricket player and a sprinter early on, Bolt’s natural speed was noticed by coaches at school, and he began to focus solely on sprinting under the tutelage of Pablo McNeil, a former Olympic sprint athlete. As early as age 14, Bolt was wowing fans of sprinting with his lightning speed, and he won his first high school championships medal in 2001, taking the silver in the 200-meter race. 

At the age of 15, Bolt took his first shot at success on the world stage at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, where he won the 200-meter dash, making him the youngest world-junior gold medalist ever. Bolt’s feats impressed the athletics world, and he received the International Association of Athletics Foundation’s Rising Star Award that year and soon was given the apt nickname “Lightning Bolt.”

Professional Career

Despite a nagging hamstring injury, Bolt was chosen for the Jamaican Olympic squad for the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was eliminated in the first round of the 200-meter, though, again hampered by injury.

In 2005, Usain Bolt made a serious change, replacing long-time coach Pablo McNeil with Glenn Mills. He then reached the world Top 5 rankings in 2005 and 2006. Unfortunately, injuries continued to plague the sprinter, preventing him from completing a full professional season.

The year 2007 proved to be a breakthrough one for Bolt, as he broke the national 200-meter record held for over 30 years by Donald Quarrie, and earned two silver medals at the World Championship in Osaka, Japan. These medals boosted Bolt's desire to run, and he took a more serious stance toward his career.

Olympic Gold

Bolt announced that he would run the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the Beijing Summer Olympics. In the 100-meter final, Bolt broke the world record, winning in 9.69 seconds. Not only was the record set without a favorable wind, but he also visibly slowed down to celebrate before he finished (and his shoelace was untied), an act that aroused much controversy later on.

Bolt's achievements in sprinting have earned him numerous awards, including the IAAF World Athlete of the Year (twice), Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and Laureus Sportsman of the Year.

At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held in London, Bolt won his fourth Olympic gold medal in the men's 100-meter race, beating rival Yohan Blake, who won silver in the event. Bolt ran the race in 9.63 seconds, a new Olympic record. The win marked Bolt's second consecutive gold medal in the 100.

BEST KNOWN FOR

Usain Bolt became the first man in Olympic history to win both the 100-meter and 200-meter races in world record times. He won his second consecutive gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2012 Olympics.

For  More : Official Site Of Usain Bolt

Richard Branson Biography

• NAME: Richard Charles Nicholas Branson
• OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur
• BIRTH DATE: July 18, 1950 (Age: 62)
• EDUCATION: Scaitcliffe School, Stowe School
• PLACE OF BIRTH: Surrey, United Kingdom

• ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer

Born July 18, 1950, in Surrey, England, Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson struggled in school and dropped out at age 16, a decision that ultimately lead to the creation of Virgin Records. His entrepreneurial projects started in the music industry and expanded into other sectors making Branson a billionaire. His Virgin Group holds more than 200 companies, including the recent Virgin Galactic,a space tourism company. Branson is also known for his adventurous spirit and sporting achievements such as crossing oceans in a hot-air-balloon.

Early Life

Born Richard Charles Nicholas Branson on July 18, 1950 in Surrey, England. His father, Edward James Branson, worked as a barrister. His mother, Eve Branson, was employed as a flight attendant. Richard, who struggled with dyslexia, had a hard time with educational institutions. He nearly failed out of the all-boys Scaitcliffe School, which he attended until the age of 13. He then transferred to Stowe School, a boarding school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England. Still struggling, Branson dropped out at the age of 16 to start a youth-culture magazine called Student. The publication, run by students, for students, sold $8,000 worth of advertising in its first edition, which was launched in 1966. The first run of 50,000 copies was disseminated for free, after Branson covered the costs with advertising.

By 1969, Branson was living in a London commune, surrounded by the British music and drug scene. It was during this time that Branson had the idea to begin a mail-order record company called Virgin to help fund his magazine efforts. The company performed modestly, but made Branson enough that he was able to expand his business venture, adding a record shop in Oxford Street, London. With the success of the record shop, the high school drop-out was able to build a recording studio in 1972 in Oxfordshire, England.

Virgin Records

His first artist on the Virgin Records label, Mike Oldfield, recorded his single "Tubular Bells" in 1973 with the help of Branson's team. The song was an instant smash, staying on the UK charts for 247 weeks. Using the momentum of Oldfield's success, Branson then signed other aspiring musical groups to label, including the Sex Pistols. Artists such as the Culture Club, the Rolling Stones, and Genesis would follow, helping to make Virgin Music one of the top six record companies in the world.

Business Expansion

Branson expanded his entrepreneurial efforts yet again, this time to include the travel company the Voyager Group in 1980, the airline Virgin Atlantic in 1984, and a series of Virgin Megastores. But Branson's success was not always predictable. By 1992, Virgin was suddenly struggling to stay financially afloat. The company was sold later that year to THORN EMI for $1 billion. Branson was crushed by the loss, reportedly crying after the contract was signed, but remained determined to stay in the music business. In 1993, he founded the station Virgin Radio, and several years later he started a second record company, V2. Founded in 1996, V2 now includes artists such as Powder Finger and Tom Jones.

Branson's Virgin Group now holds more than 200 companies in over 30 countries including the United Kingdom, the U.S., Australia, Canada, Asia, Europe and South Africa. He has expanded his businesses to include a train company, a luxury game preserve, a mobile phone company, and a space tourism company, Virgin Galactic. Space flights will begin in 2009.

Branson is also known for his sporting achievements, notably the record-breaking Atlantic crossing in Virgin Atlantic Challenger II in 1986, and the first crossing by hot-air balloon of the Atlantic (1987) and Pacific (1991). He was knighted in 1999 for his contribution to entrepreneurship, and in 2009 he landed at No. 261 on Forbes' World Billionaires list with his $2.5 billion in self-made fortune, which includes two private islands.

Branson is married to his second wife, Joan Templeman, with whom he has two children: Holly and Sam. He currently lives in London.

BEST KNOWN FOR

Entrepreneur Richard Branson launched Virgin Records in 1973. Today Virgin Group holds more than 200 companies in more than 30 countries.

For more : Official Richard Branson Site

The Worlds Strongest Dad - Team Hoyt

About Team Hoyt

The Early Years

Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life. This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy's quest for Rick's inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.

Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn't walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room. They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick's physical limitations. Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child. After providing concrete evidence of Rick's intellect and ability to learn like everyone else, Dick and Judy needed to find a way to help Rick communicate for himself. 

With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick. This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet. Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head piece attached to his wheelchair. When the computer was originally first brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, "Hi, Mom," or "Hi, Dad," Rick's first "spoken" words were: "Go, Bruins!" The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season. It was clear from that moment on, that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else.

In 1975, at the age of 13, Rick was finally admitted into public school. After high school, Rick attended Boston University, and he graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993. Dick retired in 1995 as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard, after serving his country for 37 years.

The Beginning of Team Hoyt

In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."

This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days. 

In a triathlon, Dick will pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. For the biking stage, Rick will ride a special two-seater bicycle, and then Dick will push Rick in his custom made running chair (for the running stage).

Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."

The 2009 Boston Marathon was officially Team Hoyt's 1000th race. Rick always says if it comes down to doing one race a year he would like it to be the Boston Marathon: his favorite race. Dick Hoyt hopes that he is able to push Rick in the Boston Marathon when he is 70 years old (2011)! Neither Dick or Rick are ready to retire yet.. For more Team Hoyt Official Site

10 Reasons Why Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Is So Successful

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has reached greater success than most could ever imagine. Professional wrestling brought his charismatic style to millions of people and the wrestling world quickly adopted him as one of their most liked wrestlers. After dominating for years, Dwayne Johnson gained the attention of Hollywood producers, this allowed Dwayne to branch off and find success as an actor. However, there are many reasons why Dwayne rose to fame and high levels of succes.

Read on for a look into how Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has become so successful.

Dwayne Johnson’s Success

He Is Very Charismatic

When Dwayne is in public, he is very charismatic. He electrifies the room like no other person can. This has allowed him to appeal to many people. Everyone just wants to see what he will do next and this has been a major point of his success.

Without being charismatic, Dwayne Johnson may never have transitioned from minor fame to the mega success he is today.

He Possesses A Competitive Nature

Being competitive has been the driving force behind his success. Everything that he does, he puts his all into it whether it be wrestling or acting.

If people do not work hard, they do not achieve their dreams. This is something that separates him from everyone else. He wants to be the best at all times and will not settle for anything less.

He Is Very Entertaining

Personality has a lot to do with his success, especially in acting. Dwayne always finds a way to relate to his fans. Whether it be the “people’s eyebrow” or his radiant smile, he finds ways to make the audience more involved. He is the person everyone roots for simply because he is so likable.

He Has A Successful Family

Family connections have a lot to do with The Rock getting his start in wrestling. After his football career came to an end, he had help from his father who was a former wrestler. In fact, his grandfather, uncles and cousins were all wrestlers as well.

In essence, he joined the family business and learned what it takes to succeed from his father.

He Follows His Dreams

Everything in life has a purpose for Dwayne. No matter what his dreams were, becoming a wrestler, acting or football, he did extremely well because he wasn’t afraid to follow his dreams. Without the drive to succeed and be the best, he might not have excelled the way he has.

Dwayne Johnson followed his dreams, but more importantly, he did everything in his power to transform them into a reality.

He Works His Ass Off!

During his “Once in a Lifetime Documentary” on USA, The Rock recalled his football failures. He mentioned that it devastated him, but made him work harder when training to be a wrestler.

Dwayne recalls training for hours each day and contributes his hard working ethic to his success.

He Found a Mentor

Dwayne Johnson had a rough childhood and was arrested nine times by the time he was 17. He was headed down the wrong path and needed an immediate change. Luckily, his childhood football coach reached out to him and asked him to join football to stay out of trouble. His coach, a probation officer, started a football team to keep kids off of the streets and doing something productive.

He Learns From His Failures

When his football career ended and he hit rock bottom, Dwayne Johnson was forced to move back in with his parents. His life was in shambles, he spent 10 years training to be a football player before his dream ended. However, he attributes this to his success because hitting rock bottom made him realize that he has to work even harder to reach his dreams.

He Surrounds Himself With Great People

Deciding to be friends with good people changed his life dramatically. If he would have stayed with the same crowd, he might have been thrown in jail. He knew that certain aspects of his life had to change, so he cut out all of the bad people in his life. This allowed him to feed off of their success and grow as a person.

Dwayne Takes Risks

Taking risks has enabled Dwayne Johnson to venture from wrestling to acting. If he wasn’t successful in acting, he might have passed up his fame in wrestling. Since the sport is very unforgiving, time away could have resulted in him not being a fan favorite anymore. However, he took the risk and has become a very successful actor.

Dwayne Johnson should be an inspiration to everyone. The decisions he made in life are what ultimately led to his success. Oftentimes, his life took a turn for the worse and the end of his football career was a major turning point in his life. Instead of giving up, he dedicated himself to aiming high and becoming a wrestler. Shortly after, he became one of the most well known wrestlers of all time and is now on the road to be a highly acclaimed hollywood actor and role model for all who are willing to be the best that they can be.