The Brilliance Of Peter Norman | The White Australian That Made The Black Power Salute Possible

1968 was a chaotic year in America, between the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F Kennedy as well as riots in the streets such as those at the 1968 DNC in Chicago, everyone was on edge. Two black Americans, Tommie Smith and John Carlos went into the Mexico City Olympics as the hot favourites for the men's 200 metre event, but in the end an unknown Australian split them. His name was Peter Norman and the time he ran to do so; stood as the fastest time any Aussie has run 200 meters in official competition for 56 years. In the lead up to Australia Day, this is the story of Norman the person, the athlete, how a Salvation army Christian kid became one of the fastest people on the earth, his contribution to an iconic sports photograph and why you should always stand up for what you believe.

[@rsatterth]

A great human being