On Sunday I did the interview with the people at Flotrack and since then I have got phone calls, emails, messages on facebook, twitter and myspace about what I said and if I was really going to retire. First things first...Who really retires from track and field? Retirement is (and this comes straight from Wikipedia) the point where a person stops employment completely. I am 31 and there is no way that I can just stop being employed completely! Secondly...where did the word retire come from? I never used that word in that interview. I said that was the last time you would see me run the 400H event. I then also said how long I had been running as well as my contract being up at the end of the year with my sponsor. Not to mention I added that I was going to be 32 years old next year and didn't think a sponsor would want to sign me because they may think that I am too old to invest enough money in me that would allow me to live and train the way I need to. I also said if a sponsor believed in me from day 1 then I would continue and or became a multi event athlete.
Look at it this way...If you have a job and your contract with the company you working with ends, would you continue to work the job and not get paid? Of course not! You would go and find something else to do to make ends meet. I don't know how to be more simple and plain about it. I also said that I was tired of competing against drugs. You know what...I think back and I should not have said that and at first I wasn't going to. If I didn't I would not be the person that I am and that is honest about everything that I do and straight to the point. That is how I feel, I know what I know and if anyone reading this thinks that track and field is getting cleaned up more then what it was then you either don't pay enough attention, don't care or just don't know any better.
"The game never changes...only the players" Yes I said that and its a true statement. Look at any other sport. First there was Dr. J...then Magic and Bird...then came Jordan...then came Lebron and Kobe. There is always going to be someone that steps up and becomes the "next hot thing" Now those players don't have anything to do with drugs (as far as I know) but its the same type of cycle in track and field. I am not calling names out but there is always someone that's great in an event for a while and then once that athlete starts to fade...here comes a new face almost out of NOWHERE to start kicking every ones ass for the most part. Are these new faces always dirty...of course not but I would bet my career and all my achievements that this sport is just as dirty as it was when Balco was up and running.
There will always be people trying to gain an advantage in sports because you have people out there that are after the big time contracts and as much money and fame as they can get. Is it really all worth it? Lets just see what happens when some of these athletes turn 45-50 years old and they start dropping dead or having a bunch of health problems. Live your life the way you want to live it but working hard everyday, fighting injuries and fatigue all the time, missing out on spending time with your family, traveling, losing out on sponsorship, money and being recognized for all of you hard work because of the dishonesty of others you have to see all the time and compete against...You can miss me with all of that...I have had enough! My life will not be justified by track and field. I am more then that.
By the way...for all the people on the message boards that have an opinion about who I am and what I have done in my life, open your bibles to John 8:1-11 and read that. After you done reading that ask yourself if James Carter really cares what you think of him? I made one mistake in my entire track career and you want to hold that over my head forever. Well I tell you what...you hold on to that and I will keep doing what I am doing and that's being the best me that I can be while waiting for the only judge that matters to judge me and that's God. To all the people that have supported me and wished me well through the ups and downs I really do appreciate it. Thank you much and please continue to support the sport of track and field especially the clean hard working athletes.
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