 I owe to Dr. Steadman, a part of every medal, every World Cup win. I mean, he's my hero. I'm proud that I can count myself as a friend of Dr. Steadman. These are words of gratitude and admiration to Dr. J. Richard Steadman. In the mid-1970s, Dr. Steadman began to revolutionize the methods and the very thinking around post-surgical physical therapy. His creation of the microfacture surgical procedure is used to treat more than 500,000 patients a year worldwide. Dr. Steadman's ability to return high-level athletes to medal-winning victories following surgery and rehab made him an iconic figure in sports medicine. I was injured very, very severely in 1979, leading up to the 80 Olympics, and he put me back together. A lot of people said my career was over. He didn't see it that way. Dr. Steadman's six decades worth of research and working one-on-one with patients has allowed countless people of all ages to stay physically active.