Discipline-Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973)

From "The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes," by Clifton Fadiman, General Editor (1985):

During the 1924, Olympics in Paris, Paavo Nurmi ran seven races in six days.  On the same day he won the 1,500 meter and the 5,000 meter competitions.  That night, there was a party at the Olympic Village six miles from where he was staying.  

Former president of the IAAF and Olympic marathon runner, Adrian Pavlen, reflected, "We looked out the window and there was Nurmi walking to Paris, even though he had competed...a few hours earlier."  

Paavo Nurmi suffered from a heart attack, brain thrombosis, partial left sided paralysis and blindness in his left eye.  He walked eight miles a day almost to the day he died.

Paavo Nurmi http://bit.ly/abHg83