Words of wisdom: “Ultimately the best approach to an Olympic event is not to say, ‘I will win’ but to say, ‘I will try to do my best on the day.’ This allows you to focus on what really is the most important thing—getting the best out of yourself when it matters most.”

To call Dr. Peter Snell New Zealand’s greatest athlete, doesn’t begin to do justice to his accomplishments and influence. In 1960, he won the Olympic gold medal in the 800 meters and four years later, swept the 800 and 1500 meters. He also set numerous world records and was named New Zealand’s Athlete of the 20th Century. Arthur Lydiard’s most famous protege, Snell abruptly quit his runner career at its height in 1965. Since then, he has had a distinguished career in exercise science. Now 68 years old, Dr. Snell is an exercise physiologist at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.