Carl Lewis is an American former professional track and field athlete. He competed in five events; the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay, and long jump. At one point during his career, he held the world records for the 100m, 4x100m relay, and 4x200m relay, making him the fastest human being.

His family moved to Willingboro, New Jersey, when Carl was still young. There, his parents worked as high school teachers and founded the Willingboro Track Club. Lewis was not as talented as his brothers and sister, and his parents encouraged him to pursue music lessons instead. But he kept working and practicing the long jump in his backyard, determined to improve. Small and skinny, Lewis competed in track meets, losing far more than he won. Still, his determination and confidence caught the eye of Jesse Owens himself at a meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By the time he finished high school, he was one of the country's best track and field athletes. He firmed that title by breaking the high school long jump record just days after graduating with a length of 26 feet 8 inches.

He won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and ten World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career lasted from 1979 to 1996, when he last won an Olympic event. He is one of only six Olympic athletes who won a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games.