Finish the Race ~ personal story of courage

[eurosergiu]

Because when you wear Adidas you are All in!

P.S.: Great story, heard it for the first time and really happy about it.

[wahedsins15]

Im not Tanzanian but I proud of him, super dude!

[vg5157]

Bud Greenspan make a remarkable film about this man ....

[al3xandru91]

can anyone tell me the way i can find the second song of this video. i know it's "Hail the Conquering Hero" from Handel's "Juddas Maccabaeus." but i wna't the details...like with what it was played.

please....:D

[jovetbarcelo]

A KING WITHOUT A CROWN...BUT HE AND HIS COUNTRY DESERVES A LOT...

[jwilliam10]

Sometimes the real Olympic story is not about the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, but about the struggle in between.

[RFGould]

Rest in Peace Mr.Greenspan. Your body of work inspires us more than we can tell.

[Cutters79]

Thank you, Bud Greenspan. And, RIP. You won the gold at every Olympics.

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[abundanceteachers]

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[mrjorgetorres56]

el mejor atleta , NUNCA se ha vuelto a ver algo asi,,,,,sucedio en mi pais MEXICO 68,,,,,

[WM1313]

"All honor to John Steven Akhwari of Tanzania."

[rivendell2289]

..this man is very inspiring..i read his story in the daily bread and it got me curious..so i decided to open it here and it was real..it's a story of faith and hope..it's God's message!!!..we all have our own races to finish and we must finish it no matter what!!!Great man with an amazing will..

[revpgesq]

this and Shun Fujimoto's ring routine were the best individual performances of my childhood Olympic viewingalthough i must say the 60's and 70's were filled with marvelous, transcendent or near-transcendent moments in Olympic history( just among Americans: Al Oerter, Billy Mills, Dave Wottle, Edwin Moses, Dick Fosbury, Bob Beamon, Wilma Rudolph, and so so many more)..... and, of course, the 72 Israeli team must be seen on another level entirely...

[aric2007]

Like all other African athletes (e.g. Abebe Bikila, Mamo Wolde, John Akii-Bua, John Ngugi, Josias Thugwane, Samuel Kamau Wansiru), Akhwari is one of the noblest Africans ever!

[aquosgirl]

oww God it's so touching...

very inspiring

tx 4 upload ^^

[Jhon2an]

the second song is christian hymn, but i didnt know the first one, probably from classic or baroque era

[becek]

Fuck I cried

[francisAncheta]

yeah i cried when i watched it..

where is he now? is he still alive?

[juang1a]

I believe he's still alive. That would make him about 71 years old now. From Wikipedia: He was born in 1938. Was honored in the 2000 Olympics in Sidney and in 2008 in Beijing. An athletic organization that supports Tanzania's olympic hopefuls carries his name: "The John Stephen Akhwari Athletic Foundation".

[thefallenfew]

I really had to search for this video which I have not seen in many years. It never fails to make me cry. What a true hero-he does indeed epitomize real courage and determination. A true gladiator!

[bremen93]

what is the piece of music playing in the background called?

[yannick33]

"Hail the Conquering Hero" from Handel's "Juddas Maccabaeus."

[revpgesq]

@yannick33

i have a recording of Handel's "Israel Out of Egypt" and this music is there too...

[hollywoodhottie19]

The Olympic Committee of that time, should have given this man a special recognition for his grimm determination. At least an olive wreath, such as the ones awarded to the ancient Greek champions. That would have been great. Afterall, the Olympic committe goes on and on about the ideals of the Olympics. They missed a golden opportunity

to do something great in Olympic history..

[califlover49]

a true hero, long life to you John Stephen.

[edwincny]

This is a real Gladiator...Long Life to John Stephen Akhwari !!!

Este es un verdadero Gladiador...Que Viva John Stephen Akhwari !!!

[edwincny]

This is a real Gladiator...Long Life to John Stephen Akhwari !!!

Este es un verdadero Gladiador...Que Viva John Stephen Akhwari !!!

[GroomLeader]

Am amazing performance. The true spirit of the games, and his comment about being sent to the games to finish the race, not just to start it, shows what true sportsmanship is all about. In this era of pampered so called sports stars whining and demanding more, one man symbolizes what sports should be about. He may not have won a medal, but he is greatest olympian, period..

[Gopee1]

What an amazing man.

[NagiUnmei21]

amazing man...i've read several inspiring books with his story in it...that's actually the reason why i searched this video

[tigreconalasdeaguila]

eso es espiritu amor asi  mismo ,no como ahora le hechas la culpa ala comida. yo mas bien diria ala falta de amor ,dedeque se inventaron las barritas en mexico , cuanta me diocridad en nuestras autoridades deportivas ,,

[calito44]

what Can I say?.. I saw this film when I was a kid and took me tears and today I saw it again and you can bet that I am emotional ... so inspiring so moving is this incredible show of spirit.....

[lexisalive]

This man gave the world a lesson of THE PURE POWER OF A GREATE SOUL...

He is the real "IRON MAN"

[fesacha]

Maybe the most inspiring video you can see on olympic games. The main message: it is clear that not all of us can be Phelps or Lewis or Bolt, these men may have been blessed with gifted tools to succeed. But we ALL have the capability of strenghten our spirit like John Stephen Akwhari. God bless him for that message of not quitting and never give up. All honor to him. As somebody said here, to me he is the greatest olympian ever.

[paolamhc]

What an amazing acomplishment by this man. You are right, he is the GREATEST Olympian. It's wonderful to finish the race in first place, but knowing he hadn't won, being hurt and finishing it demonstrated is character and spirit.

[goredj1948]

Forget Phelps - the greatest Olympian EVER never won a medal.

John Akhwari has been an honoured guest at both the Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 Olympics for this reason.

[RFGould]

I know the director's name is Bud Greenspan. His brother David Greenspan narrated many of his documentary films. David went by the professional name of David Perry. For this particular video, this is an educated guess on my part. If you search Bud Grrenspan documentaries on the web you may find a more reliable answer. Some of the best olympic documentaries ever made can be attributed to Bud and David Greenspan. Good luck.

[juang1b]

Thanks for the help RFGould!

I was able to find more info, and it seems that you're right. This video appears at the end of a documentary called "African Runners", which is part of the "Olympiad Series", directed by Bud Greenspan. And, yes, the name of the narrator appears as: "David Perry" (Bud's brother).

I think his solemn voice, along with the background music, adds a lot of impact to the video. Outstanding!

[juang1b]

Does anyone know the name of the narrator in this video? I've heard that voice before, but I don't know the man's name. Any help is appreciated.

[juang1b]

Full text. Part 2 of 2.

....

a performance that lifts sport out of a category of grown men playing at games,

a performance that gives meaning to the word courage,

all honor to John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania.

Perhaps the words of John Stephen Akhwari epitomize all that is right in the human spirit.

When asked why he did not quit, he said simply:

"My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race.

They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."

[juang1b]

A little over an hour after Mamo Wolde crosses the finish line,

John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania approaches the stadium,

the last man to complete the journey.

A voice calls from within to go on, and so he goes on.

Afterwards, it was written:

Today we have seen a young African runner

who symbolizes the finest in the human spirit,

a performance that gives true dignity to sport, .....(see part 2)

[joesakic91]

"My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me to finish." - John Stephen Akhwari.

Could've said it better myself.

He never quit. Thank you John Stephen Akhwari for your courage and determination to finish the race.

[zatopecara]

Truly one of the most inspirational efforts in sport. Thank you so much for posting it and thank you John Akhwari for your determination and persistence.

[tsms96]

this video really inspire me......i almost in tears after watching this video...thank u for posting this video for viewing.

[MeAkouTube]

will use this video to illustrate perseverance to kids at church this Sunday.

[copygma]

Mabuhay!!

You inspire us all!!

[kingnek]

i just watched derek redmond and now this, inspiring olympic moments

[jakethompson1414]

Amaizing. Rellay shows that no metter what, you should never give up. A supremem example of human willpower

[aeortiz2004]

To you all: John S.Akhwari will be a special guest for the 2008 beijing Olympics. He will be honored due to his brave performance at Mexico 68!

[ExJob2222]

Can anyone tell me where I can get a poster of this man? He's is worth looking up to.

[abundanceteachers]

Hi, I googled his full name and found many sites, but not actual poster print outs. Only web quality photos. Hope that helps.

[RFGould]

my all-time favorite olympic video. all hail john stephen akhwari and bud greenspan the olympic documentary filmmaker who brought us this inspirational story.

[abundanceteachers]

Thank you so much for giving the source of the filmmaker credit. I did not know who it was, and I am glad you could provide that. Wonderful perspective from Bud Greenspan.

[muluken04]

that's inspirational vid! thanx for postin diz wonderful vid!

[jpohara]

This has to be one of the best clips on You Tube no argument

[raggedy80]

Amazing

[felixjimenezmendez]

Simply amazing. I love this story and John Stephen Akhwari is immortal. Long live!