NEW YORK: Champion Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson has minor lingering effects from a stroke, but has made an excellent overall recovery and is urging others to be aware of the symptoms that could indicate they are enduring a similar episode. Johnson, who has remained physically active since retiring from the track in 2000, had the stroke last September, showing that being physically fit is no guarantee of avoiding the condition. The 51-year-old American is now partnering with the American Stroke Association on a stroke prevention education campaign. Doctors credit Johnson’s recovery partly to the fact that he sought medical help immediately upon experiencing some discomfort after a “normal” exercise session, though at the time he did not know it was a stroke. “What I’ve learned since having this is that a stroke can happen to anyone and it happened to me,” he said. Johnson was the star of the 1996 Olympic athletics in Atlanta when he became the first male runner to win the 200 and 400 metres double, the former in world record time. He also won the 400 four years later in Sydney, becoming the only man to retain his title in the event at the Olympics.