Two-time Olympic gold medalist Henry Carr became one of the world’s best sprinters. But he never let fleeting fame for his athletic feats define his life.
Carr experienced the highs of Olympic glory and the lows of unemployment and drug use. In the end, he considered winning the spiritual race his greatest achievement.
“Though he earned gold medals, he felt that those things paled when he began running for the medal of life,” said his friend Stephen Ogletree of Atlanta. “He was a great sports star, but he was a greater man of God.”
Carr died May 29 at his Griffin home after a long battle with cancer. He was 73.
His funeral is at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Conner-Westbury Funeral Home in Griffin. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. June 20 at the Vaughn Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Detroit.
Born on Nov. 27, 1941, in Fitzpatrick, Ala., Carr was the ninth of 11 children. He grew up in Detroit, where he became a track standout at Northwestern High School, winning several state championships.
His track talent opened the door to college. At Arizona State University, he won three national titles and set a world record in the 200-meter dash. In 1963 and 1964, he was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 200 meters. He also was a member of the Sun Devils’ 4 x 400-meter relay team that won a national championship.
During the 1964 Olympic trials, Carr finished fourth. Impressed with his earlier win in the semifinals, U.S. officials gave him a spot on the team.
At the Tokyo Games, Carr set a then-Olympic record while winning the gold medal in the 200 meters with a 20.3-second run. A few days later, he anchored the U.S. team to gold in the 4 x 400 meter relay. His 44.5-second leg was the fastest in the race and helped the team smash the world record by 1.5 seconds.
In March of that same year, the sprinter married his high school sweetheart, Glenda Mixon.
“We could depend on Henry,” said 1964 Olympic gold medalist Ulis C. Williams, Carr’s Arizona State and Olympics 4 x 400 meter relay teammate. “Henry’s performance was his message. He did it his way. I admire him for that.”
In 1965, Carr left track for the football field, playing three seasons as a defensive back for the New York Giants.
He was inducted into the ASU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975, the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
After a knee injury ended his football career, Carr returned to Detroit and hit rock bottom when he could not find a job. Bitter and frustrated, he left his family and began running with drug dealers and prostitutes in his old neighborhood.
“After a few months, I stopped and took a good look at myself. I have become involved in the very things that I hated,” Carr wrote in a 1976 reflection on his life.
Carr returned to his family and began studying the Bible. In 1973, he joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses and became a preacher. His ministry brought him to Georgia, where he helped start the first congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Barnesville.
His faith transformed his life, friends said. The drive and self-discipline that catapulted him to success in sports also strengthened his spiritual walk.
“My father was a great role model who will have a lasting effect on my life,” said Peyton Carr of Bradenton, Fla. “He faced adversity and overcame it. He taught me the principles of hard work, self-discipline and integrity that helped me in my business and my spiritual life.”
For Carr, his sports legacy could not compete with the pride he felt in raising children.
“He once told me he was in the race for life now,” said his friend William Maxwell of Morrow. “He was not basking in his past accomplishments. He wanted to help others. He was glad his son turned out the way he hoped. He was more interested in people understanding what the Bible was about. He saw that as a race itself.”
In addition to his son, Carr is survived by his wife Glenda Carr of Griffin; daughters Andrea Carr of Phoenix, and Piper Carr of Redford, Mich.; brothers Emmett Carr Sr. of Detroit, Linwood Carr Sr. of Delray Beach, Fla., Jasper Carr of Southgate, Mich., and Ethan Carr of River Rouge, Mich.; sisters Flozell Coachman of Montgomery, Charity Carr Townsend Harris of Detroit and Escalita Jones of Smyrna. He is also survived by five grandchildren.
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