Usain Bolt Says a Bet That He’ll ‘Get Fat’ in Retirement Keeps Him Motivated to Stay in Shape

Usain Bolt says that a bet amongst his friends is helping him to stay in shape while in retirement.

The eight-time Olympic gold medalist is not taking a break from the gym anytime soon after his friends told him that he would likely gain weight once he left the track for good.

“I’ve always tried to stay fit because I have a bet with my friends,” Bolt explained to Insider. “They were like, ‘As soon as you retire, you’re going to get fat.’ And I was like, I can’t let them win this. So I’ve been trying to do my best to stay in shape.”

Bolt, the fastest man in the world, said that the bet came about after years of bragging to his buddies about his famous abs. Along with proving them wrong, Bolt says he genuinely likes maintaining his physique.

“I’m enjoying it. It’s good to stay fit. It’s good for your mental health also. It’s something that helps me to stay focused and just be happy.”

As an athlete ambassador for Peloton, Bolt appreciates the brand’s cycling classes because he can do those right beside his bed. He has also been training hard for a CarMax challenge, which entails racing a half-mile against a CarMax agent as they complete an appraisal for a client. The car company promises an appraisal within two minutes, so the goal is for Bolt to finish the race within that time. The challenge will take place on July 13th on Facebook Live for all to see.

“They told me they’re one of the fastest appraisals for car companies online now. In two minutes, you can be approved. So I was like, ‘Okay, cool.’ And they’re like, ‘we’d like you to hit 800 meters.’ I was like, ‘Now that’s interesting,'” Bolt said.