ATLANTA — Ambassador Andrew Young received this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award resented by Coca-Cola during the 2022 Atlanta Sports Awards on Saturday.
Young was honored for his work across Atlanta and around the world. As a congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations and Mayor of Atlanta, Young was a champion for civil rights, economic and social development and the advancement of Atlanta.
Among his contributions to the city, Young was instrumental in bringing the 1996 Olympic Games to Atlanta and served as co-chairman of the games.
"I know i don’t deserve it. I know sports has done more for me than I’ve done for any sport," Young said. "The rules of sport and dedication and discipline that it takes to succeed, is what it takes to succeed in life."
Going to college at just 15-years-old, Young said he was too small for most sports. He joined the track team his senior year.
He didn’t become a world class athlete – his path went elsewhere. But as one of the icons in Atlanta history, he was there as the city became internationally known. And sports played a big role.
"It was in the mind of the leadership, they saw sports as a way of helping to make Atlanta a big league city," he said.
"I remember being out in front of the American Hotel, when Braves came to town. Hank (Aaron) was sitting up. I was sitting with a bunch of guys in overalls in rural areas. I wonder what they’d say. They started talking about Atlanta needs to be a big league city."
He says corporate America suddenly realized sports was not only good for business, but a way to break down barriers and create harmony in the community.
"I think politically it worked out," Young said.
It worked out when the 1996 Olympics came here to Atlanta. Billy Payne led a small group that enlisted Young’s support.
"At that time the Olympics was bad business," he recalled. "Nobody want to touch it."
But they got it done.
The Atlanta Sports Awards are presented each year by the Atlanta Sports Council to recognize outstanding athletic talent at all levels across Georgia.