Professional athletes are known for getting professional-grade injuries, and some of them battle more physical obstacles than others. As PBS notes, Bolt had struggled with scoliosis and other back problems throughout his career. His record is awe-inspiring, and even more so considering he’s achieved so much with a spinal deformity that has the potential to leave those afflicted with movement impairments, as Healthline explains, and on rare occasions, paralysis (via UCLA Health). But the night of his final competition, Bolt was plagued by a different injury.

While running the team relay in the 2017 Track and Field Championships, Bolt went down, and he went down hard. As SI Wire shows, Bolt had been pushing hard, gaining the lead, when he starts awkwardly hopping and shouting in pain. The world’s fastest man then fell to the ground. He refused to leave his final race without crossing the finish line though, and with the help of his teammates, they got the hobbling sprinter across it.

At first, the runner believed it was a simple hamstring cramp that struck at a most inopportune moment in his career, but he later learned he’d actually torn the muscle. Bolt told the Independent shortly after his injury that the competitors weren’t allowed to jog around and keep their muscles warm before competing, which has been known to lead to injuries in the athletic world for ages. With a worn body and having been “cold” during his races, it’s no wonder Bolt didn’t compete at his usual level.

Following passions is what being alive is all about, and there are plenty of professional athletes out there who’ve shown that first-hand as they branch out of their celebrity box and move on to other realms of fame and entertainment. We’ve seen professional fighters become actors, football players write books, and runners who start cutting music tracks. You know, like Usain Bolt.

Bolt’s music career really started in early 2021, though he was talking about it before then, when the former athlete dropped his first single with Nugent “NJ” Walker, according to Running Magazine. As of now, Bolt and his partner only have one single, titled “Living the Dream,” but the world-class-athlete-turned-musician plans to make it big. He says they want to “dominate the Jamaican market” (via the Olympic website) and go on to international fame.

The former athlete’s genre of choice is Jamaican dancehall, kind of like dubstep, and despite wanting to reach musical stardom, Bolt isn’t rushing into it too quickly. He says he’s letting the music come as it pleases so it “comes out right” rather than trying to spam singles. This, the sprinter believes, is the key to succeeding, which he’s determined to do. He’s definitely “not just here joking around.”

Usain Bolt is often revered not only for his abilities in athletics but for his shining personality. He has other equally amazing qualities too, though they rarely make the front page news. For instance, Bolt is an extremely charitable person, which is made evident by the Usain Bolt Foundation, founded in 2011, according to the Jamaica Observer.

Since the foundation came into existence, it’s been accomplishing impressive numbers of good works. The Usain Bolt Foundation website is filled with articles detailing their work, which all fall under the mission of creating “opportunities through education and cultural development for a positive change.” In March of 2021, the foundation donated $40,000 worth of laptops to rural Jamaican schools. In 2020, they donated over $2 million in school supplies. They’ve also donated equipment to medical facilities, given out gifts to children during the holidays, sponsored the Jamaican Special Olympics team, worked on climate change programs, and much more. They don’t seem to be held to one specific issue like many charitable foundations, but instead, the organization seems to tackle whatever cause is in front of them at any given time. Bolt isn’t just a figurehead for the organization either. He’s seen at each of his foundation’s events, actively taking part in the philanthropic activities. It’s just proof that even though the great Usain Bolt might not be competing these days, he’s still out there doing great things.