Olympic champion Michael Johnson trains all kinds of athletes at his Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney. But he has never had a client quite like Jamie Bond.
"When I opened this place, my objective was to help all athletes," Johnson said.
Bond is a principal dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet in Birmingham, England. In the upcoming season, he will play Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.
"I'm wanting to get in shape for next season, get inspired and motivated. What better place than to come here?" Bond said.
Bond hopes Johnson can help him recover from a back injury. He also wants to gain strength for his grueling performances.
"When I'm dancing, you run around with a girl over your head," he said.
Trainer Lance Walker said Bond is treated no differently from other elite athletes such as Dallas Cowboys players.
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"We've been treating him like a football player where he's in two-a-days," he said.
And it's working. Bond said he's gained six pounds of muscle in just three weeks.
The Texas heat is also therapeutic.
"I love the weather," Bond said. "My body actually feels a lot better in the heat."
But Johnson will leave the dance coaching to someone else.
"The artistic part -- obviously we're clueless," he said, laughing.
But when it comes to athletic ability, Walker said Juliet will be pleased when Romeo comes home to England.
"Don't let the word ballet fool you. These guys are studs, and he's one of them," he said.
