Tiffany Greene, Central Florida News 13 Sports
Outrunning opponents was commonplace for John Capel. The Brooksville native blazed new trails on the track all throughout high school and college.
"Coach Holloway and I sat down, we had a long conversation. He figured track was my best interest because I was pretty much faster than everybody in the world at the time," Capel said.
In 2000, Capel out-sprinted Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene in the 200 meters during the Olympic trials, but failed to keep up with the field when the gold medal was on the line.
"To be on a world stage. To be considered the overall, the guaranteed winner of that event and to go out and false start or make a mistake like that in the blocks, I mean it was a bone head mistake on my part," Capel said.
That's when Capel started to jump the gun and life slowly spiraled out of control. A bright future turned gloomy after an ongoing love affair with marijuana costs him a chance to play in the NFL, compete in the Athens Olympics, and nearly his livelihood.
In 2006, Capel was banned from track and field for two years after testing positive for marijuana, not once, but twice.
"When it hit home, when they sent me out the papers, like I really didn't think they were going to suspend me, I was like they're not going to suspend me for marijuana."
Capel says weed is no longer a part of his life. He's now focused on resurrecting what's left of his career. For the last five months, he's been working out with Track and Field Hall of Fame coach Brooks Johnson.
"I've trained well this year, probably better than I have in the last eight years. I've actually become a competitor again," Capel said.
"Like most coaches I enjoy a challenge and believe you me he is a challenge," said Brooks Johnson, a Hall of Fame track coach.
"Coach Brooks Johnson is a no nonsense kind of guy. In fact, in order for him to come back and coach John there was one condition, no nonsense."
"I told him we weren't going to tolerate any mess, basically what I said using another four letter word," Johnson said,
"I still think I gotta a little shake in these legs of mine. It's gonna take a lot of heart, a lot of desire and a will to win and I think I have all three," Capel said.
Capel said that, compared to is life to track, he says the race is not given to the swift, but to the one that endureth to the end.
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