Usain Bolt

Born in the rural village of Sherwood Content, Jamaica in 1986, Usain St. Leo Bolt grew up in a small, close-knit community. His parents, Wellesley and Jennifer, ran the local grocery store.

From a young age, Usain was fast. He'd race other kids in the village, and he always won. But he was also tall for his age — gangly, awkward, and uncoordinated. His limbs seemed too long for his body.

"I was all arms and legs," Bolt recalled. "I'd trip over my own feet. Kids would laugh at me."

His father encouraged him to focus on cricket, Jamaica's most popular sport. But Usain's heart was in track and field. He loved the feeling of running, of wind in his face, of leaving everyone behind.

During his mid-to-late teenage years, Bolt experienced rapid physical development. He grew to his final height of 6'5", but more importantly, his body began to coordinate with itself. His long legs, once awkward, became powerful pistons. His stride length became his greatest weapon.

At age 15, Bolt won the 200m at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Jamaica, becoming the youngest world junior gold medalist ever. The crowd went wild. The tall, lanky kid from Sherwood Content was onto something.

But it wasn't until his early twenties that Bolt truly figured out how to use his height to his advantage. He worked with coaches to perfect his start, to overcome the one weakness tall sprinters faced. And once he hit his stride? No one could catch him.

His stride length was nearly 10 feet — significantly longer than shorter sprinters. While they took 45-46 steps to complete 100m, Bolt took only 41. Each step covered more ground. Each step was more efficient.

What everyone said was a disadvantage became his greatest strength.

Usain Bolt's story teaches us that what looks like a disadvantage can become your greatest advantage. The same height that made him awkward as a teenager became the physical trait that made him unstoppable as an adult.

"People always focused on what I couldn't do because of my height," Bolt said. "I focused on what I could do because of it."

Bolt didn't let conventional wisdom define him. He didn't accept that tall people can't sprint. He worked on his weaknesses, maximized his strengths, and rewrote the rules of what was possible.

For teenagers who feel different, who don't fit the mold, who are told their body isn't "right" for their dreams: Usain Bolt's story shows that different can be better. Your unique traits might be exactly what makes you special.

Physical development is a process, not an overnight event. Bolt grew into his body over time. He learned to coordinate his long limbs. He turned awkwardness into power.

Your body is still developing. Your potential is still unfolding. And sometimes, the thing that makes you different is the thing that makes you legendary.