Roger Bannister: The Barrier Breaker


Introduction
How do you overcome obstacles that seem impossible? Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four-minute-mile record, knew what it was like to break barriers.

Learning a Passion
Roger Bannister was born in Harrow, England, in 1929. Since his parents couldn't afford to send him to college, he worked to win scholarships to study medicine at Oxford. Bannister had two loves: studying medicine and running track. He worked hard to do well at both. Because of his studies, Bannister had less time for track practice than other athletes. Most athletes trained at least six days a week. Bannister trained only two to three times a week. In the 1952 Olympic Games, Bannister ran the 1500m race but finished fourth. Many said this was due to his lack of training. Bannister decided it was time to get serious. He focused on doing what everyone in the world thought was impossible. He wanted to break the four-minute-mile barrier.

Setting a Goal
No one in history had ever run a mile in less than four minutes, although several had tried. For decades, physicians believed that running a mile too fast would cause heart failure. Bannister knew he could set a new world record by working hard. Bannister believed that pushing himself beyond the pain would make him a winner. That is just what Bannister did on May 6, 1954, at Iffley Road Track in Oxford. On a cold, wet track, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute-mile barrier with a time of 3:59.4. Two other runners helped him set a fast pace. Then Bannister relied on his training to run the first three laps of the track in 3:01. During the final lap of the race against the clock, Bannister knew he could finish the race in less than 59 seconds. He broke away from the other runners and flew down the last two curves of the track at record speed. As he crossed the finish line, he collapsed into the arms of his friend Reverend Nicholas Stacey. Bannister was out of breath and out of energy, but he knew he had broken the world record. Bannister accomplished a great moment in history that day.
After breaking the four-minute-mile barrier, Bannister competed in a few more races. He ran his personal record of 3:43.8 in the 1500m in the European Championship. That was Bannister's last race. In August of 1954, he retired at the age of 25 to focus on what he considered his true contribution to society—his research in the field of neurology, the study of the nerves and the nervous system.

Making a Difference
In 1975, two decades after his feat, Roger Bannister was knighted by the Sports Council of England. He had done what no man thought was possible. However, Bannister knew his athletic glory was fleeting. He felt that his work as a neurologist was the real accomplishment of his life. For over 40 years, he worked in neurology, helping patients who suffered serious neurological disorders. To honor his work and dedication as a neurologist, St. Mary's Hospital in London named a lecture hall after Dr. Bannister. In the lecture hall, the famous stopwatch used to time Bannister's mile is on display. In July of 2012, Bannister was honored to be elected as one of the Olympic torchbearers. He carried the flame into the Oxford track stadium that was named for him. Of his neurology career and his track achievements, as the greatest runner ever, Bannister claims that working hard is the secret to his success.


11
Why does the author use chronological order to organize the passage?
A.
to place the events in Bannister's life in the order in which they happened
B.
to present Bannister's challenge of breaking a record and his solution for it
C.
to compare Bannister's achievements in running with his achievements in medicine
D.
to show how the events in Bannister's life affected his career in neurology

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