Over the years, Nintendo has spawned many classic video game franchises. Perhaps one of the most successful of these series is Mario Kart. Starting on the SNES with Super Mario Kart, the franchise has become a staple of the Nintendo brand. With 14 games released to date and over 150 million copies sold, it’s not surprising that many people have played the kart racer over the years. However, some might be surprised to learn that one of those people was Olympic Sprinter Usain Bolt.
Arguably the fastest man in history, Usain Bolt is known for his incredible sprinting ability. In a career that spanned 4 Olympic Games, he won a remarkable 8 gold medals at those events and managed to break multiple world records in sprinting. While the Olympic sprinter might be associated with track and field events, he revealed that he loves video games as well.
Recently, Usain Bolt appeared in an interview with BBC Gaming Reporter Steffan Powell. While the interview was part of an advertising campaign for the intriguing hologram technology called Portl, the sprinter also managed to share some interesting details about his life. According to the sprinter, he enjoyed playing video games, such as Mario Kart, growing up. Perhaps, he even liked them a little too much, revealing that he had occasionally missed his training to play more games.
Despite skipping track practice occasionally because of video games, Bolt believed they played a part in his success. After being asked if video games made him better as an athlete, he confidently answered. “It helped, it helped,” he said. According to the Olympian, videos games, like sports, drove him to learn new skills and be the best. “I feel like it kinda helped my hunger,” he said. Bolt believed that video games like Mario Kart helped him get in the right mindset when stepping onto the track. “You just want to win,” he said.
In addition to revealing that Mario Kart helped his competitive drive, he made some interesting claims about his career. After being asked by Powell if he would want to become a pro gamer or streamer if he could start his career over again, Bolt claimed that he would possibly have gone down a different track. He claimed he would have considered a career in esports instead.
It’s exciting to hear stories from top athletes detailing their experiences playing video games. Besides Usain Bolt, many other celebrities have a passion for games, such as Jack Black and Henry Cavill. With gaming becoming even more popular, it will be interesting to see what star is the next to reveal that they play video games.
Source: BBC
