MOSES 13 STEPS

By Michael Wech

Edwin Moses grew up as an African-American in the segregated USA. His passions being engineering and physics, he came to athletics rather by chance. Without a coach he taught himself the toughest discipline in track and field, the 400-meter hurdles. With a unique running technique of 13 steps he dominated the event for years. His winning streak left his competitors, fans and journalists puzzled: 9 years, 9 months, and 9 days. His achievements exceed sports, as he fought against inequality, injustice, and doping, for equal rights and equal treatment of people regardless of skin color and gender, and for adequate payment of athletes. To this day, he remains a role model for fairness and integrity beyond the world of sport.