For Nick Mayhugh, who was born with a form of cerebral palsy, becoming a three-time gold medalist and world record holder at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics was incredible enough.
But when people began putting him in the same conversation as track and field legend Usain Bolt, Mayhugh described the feeling as "an overflow of emotions."
"Ever since Usain Bolt came onto the scene, you know, I grew up watching him and idolizing him on the track," Mayhugh said. "To think that, you know, people put me in the same conversation as him is a remarkable honor. It's kinda crazy, you know, it's an overflow of emotions."
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Adding to the honor, Bolt sent Mayhugh a video message saying that Mayhugh, like him, "lets people know that anything is possible."
In Tokyo, Mayhugh set a new world record for the 100m for T37 Paralympians, with 10.95 seconds. But for Mayhugh, what he did in Tokyo isn't not enough. The 2024 Paris Paralympics are an opportunity to do better than before — and keep his name tied to Usain Bolt.
"I hope that I can continue to be in that conversation, and hopefully succeed in such a way that, by the time I leave this sport, it is hopefully in a better place than when I found it," Mayhugh said.
