Inspiring Olympian Manteo Mitchell returns to track at Franklin Field

Manteo Mitchell always wanted to serve as an inspiration.

He never figured he would have to break his leg to do it.

"I didn't plan on that," Mitchell said.

An injury on the international stage has worked out wonderfully for the 25-year-old from Shelby, N.C.

One moment, Mitchell was a promising but relatively unknown runner for the U.S Olympic team. The next, President Obama was praising him at a White House reception and the athlete was making plans to visit 36 schools to tell his made-for-Hollywood story.

"My 'big break,' " Mitchell said Friday in good-natured reference to his remarkable performance during the first heat of the 4x400 relay at the 2012 Olympics in London.

On Saturday, Mitchell will be back on the track, eighth months after fracturing his left fibula about halfway into his opening leg of that relay race before 80,000 spectators.

He will run for the USA 4x400 team during the USA vs. the World showcase series at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

Mitchell said he was "100 percent" healthy. But although his leg is back to normal, he knows his life has changed.

Mitchell's show of determination in London has turned into a symbol of the Olympic spirit. He kept running with a broken leg to finish in 46.1 seconds and get the baton to his teammate, keeping the U.S. team in contention for a medal. The team won silver the next day while he watched and cheered on crutches.

"It's an incredible story," said sprinter Darvis "Doc" Patton, a three-time U.S. Olympian who will run in the 4x100 relay on Saturday. "It's like a movie. You have to understand, we stop running when we feel a cramp. We stop running when we feel a little tightness.

"And this guy kept running for 200 meters with a . . . broken leg."

Mitchell has embraced his celebrity in a positive way, using his newfound fame as a platform to spread his message of "Faith, focus, finish" - the words are tattooed on his right arm and regularly pop up on his Twitter feed - to young people.

Mitchell called his Sept. 13 "shout-out" from President Obama at a White House reception for Olympians and Paralympians the highlight of his life.

Obama called Mitchell's performance "one of my favorite stories of the whole Olympics," and first lady Michelle Obama made sure Mitchell posed for a photo with her and the president.

But Mitchell said the best part of his sudden renown has been the opportunity it has afforded him to interact with youngsters, many of whom can relate to his upbringing in underprivileged circumstances.

Mitchell has visited 36 schools since returning from the Olympics, including Upper Darby High School on Wednesday for an assembly that included middle-school students. He was a featured speaker for a school-day gathering at the Palestra on the Penn campus Friday.

He said he speaks without notes, opening with a prayer. He said he tries to be as honest as possible with youngsters.

"It's the easy part for me," Mitchell said. "They want to know why I kept running, how I was able to keep running. I tell them I was part of a team and I didn't want to let down my teammates.

"The [motto] at the Olympics was 'Inspire a generation,' and that's something that I always wanted to be able to do since I was in eighth grade. I'm blessed to have this opportunity."