EPISODE · Jun 10, 2026 · 55 MIN
World Record. Couldn't Put On My Socks. — Mikael Avatar
from Feck It, No More · host Glenn Monaghan
Mikael Avatar grew up in Sweden with cerebral palsy and decided at ten years old he was going to the Olympics. He trained every morning from four in the morning. He was coached by his own training group as a child — people aged seven to thirty-one who followed the books he was reading because he had no other guide. He trained for seventeen years.In August 1996 at the Atlanta Paralympics, with lightning having stopped the competition three times and 68,000 people still in the stadium, he broke the world record in the long jump. Carl Lewis had taken his ninth Olympic gold in the same pit two weeks earlier. Carl Lewis never held a world record in the long jump.A few years later, Mikael was getting famous. TV, newspapers, government speaking gigs for five thousand dollars. He was at the peak of his life and could not put on his socks. His hands cramped and shook in the cold. Nothing fixed it. A friend offered a house in Thailand. Five days later, pain free. He went back to Sweden. Three days later, the pain was back. He bought a one-way ticket.This episode is about the identity you build around achievement, what happens when your body refuses to keep running it, and why sometimes the bravest thing is to stop.If this episode has brought something up for you, you are not alone. Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636.Follow the show for new episodes every week.If you've had a "feck it, no more" moment and want to share your story — or know someone who should — reach out to Glenn directly:[email protected] REFERENCELifeline - 13 11 14 - General crisis support 24/7 — mental health and personal crisisBeyond Blue - 1300 22 4636 - Mental health, anxiety, depression Emergency - 000 - Police, ambulance, fire
What this episode covers
Mikael Avatar grew up in Sweden with cerebral palsy and decided at ten years old he was going to the Olympics. He trained every morning from four in the morning. He was coached by his own training group as a child — people aged seven to thirty-one who followed the books he was reading because he had no other guide. He trained for seventeen years.In August 1996 at the Atlanta Paralympics, with lightning having stopped the competition three times and 68,000 people still in the stadium, he broke the world record in the long jump. Carl Lewis had taken his ninth Olympic gold in the same pit two weeks earlier. Carl Lewis never held a world record in the long jump.A few years later, Mikael was getting famous. TV, newspapers, government speaking gigs for five thousand dollars. He was at the peak of his life and could not put on his socks. His hands cramped and shook in the cold. Nothing fixed it. A friend offered a house in Thailand. Five days later, pain free. He went back to Sweden. Three days later, the pain was back. He bought a one-way ticket.This episode is about the identity you build around achievement, what happens when your body refuses to keep running it, and why sometimes the bravest thing is to stop.If this episode has brought something up for you, you are not alone. Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636.Follow the show for new episodes every week.If you've had a "feck it, no more" moment and want to share your story — or know someone who should — reach out to Glenn directly:[email protected] REFERENCELifeline - 13 11 14 - General crisis support 24/7 — mental health and personal crisisBeyond Blue - 1300 22 4636 - Mental health, anxiety, depression Emergency - 000 - Police, ambulance, fire
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World Record. Couldn't Put On My Socks. — Mikael Avatar
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