Tag Archive for: Grit

Martin Bingisser

Against all odds

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Look back at the history of track and field and there are some legendary performances that we can all admire no matter the era. 60 years ago Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon barefoot in a time of 2:15, just over 6 minutes off the times from recent Olympics. Jesse Owens had to dig starting blocks into the cinder track when he ran, but his performances in the long jump would still qualify for the Olympic final nearly 90 years later. Harold Connolly won Olympic hammer throw gold despite partial paralysis in one arm. Read more

Craig Pickering

The role of adversity in development

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We find ourselves in very strange times, with the COVID-19 causing shut down of all but essential services. As a result local and international competitions have been cancelled or postponed, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Under-20 Championships. Even finding a place to train is nearly impossible. Read more

Martin Bingisser

Why athletes need to give back

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One of the constant struggles we have in Switzerland is keeping athletes involved in the sport after they retire. If you look at the all-time list in the hammer throw, only two of the top 25 throwers (myself included) are actively coaching. A few others coached briefly, but for the most part once athletes retire we will never see them again. Read more

Martin Bingisser

HMMR Podcast Episode 195: The champion’s mind (with Adam Nelson and Szymon Ziolkowski)

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We watch champion’s win all the time, but rarely do we get a chance to see what is going on inside their head. On this week’s episode we get to talk to two Olympic champions and see what their thought process is in competition, how they prepare, and how they’ve overcome some of the most difficult situations imaginable in sport. Tune in to hear shot putter Adam Nelson and hammer throw Szymon Ziolkowski share their experiences. Read more

Martin Bingisser

HMMR Podcast Episode 192: A star is born (with Kevin McMahon)

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The making of a champion starts at a young age with the athlete’s family, youth coaches, and community. The champion’s mindset then grows from there. Kevin McMahon won two US titles in the hammer throw and competed in two Olympics and four World Championships. He joins this week’s podcast to share how he started out as a thrower, the San Jose throws community he came of age in, and the inspiration he took from that. In addition, we look a bit at what it takes to be a champion in the hammer throw, and more. Read more

Martin Bingisser

HMMR Podcast Episode 148: Coaching character (with Dan Lange)

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For three decades, coach Dan Lange has been quietly doing his thing out in Los Angeles: producing champions across all four throwing events. He is the only American to have coached an Olympic champion in the hammer throw, yet most people have no idea who he is or how he trains. In this exclusive interview, we get Lange to discuss his career, his character-based approach to coaching, how to deal with egos, and more. Read more

Martin Bingisser

HMMR Podcast Episode 106: Parenting Athletes

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Whether they want to or not, parents play a large role in determine the success of their children. Part of this is in the genes they pass on, but a bigger part is in how they raise and nurture their children. On this episode of the podcast we take a look at the topic from the coach’s perspective: how do we see parents best helping their child’s success. Plus, we include an excerpt on the topic from an upcoming GAINcast episode with Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg. Read more