Sam Reiser is our 7th Athlete to speak to us about making the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships Team. Members of the team will compete in Eugene (USA), from July 22nd to 27th 2014.
How did you get involved in Athletics?
I used to run around a bit in primary school but nothing more than just turning up and having a go. In year 10 I picked athletics as a sport but it still wasn’t a priority. This was in October of 2012, which was just over 18 months ago. One thing lead to another and I loved the sport so thought I would give it a go properly.
When you first heard that you made the team, what was your initial reaction?
It was such a good feeling I could stop worrying and just enjoy it so gave my coach Bruce Scriven a hug and my mum along with my grandma as well as everyone else who was there which was my family up in Sydney and friends that were there.
Are you doing anything differently in preparation for this competition?
No, We want to keep everything the same that we have been doing. This is as I have not been including much in my training at the moment including no weights and plyometrics. After World Juniors we will start to include many different aspects into my training program and assess what is best for me from there.
What are you most looking forward to about the trip to Eugene (USA)?
Competing, putting on your national colours is about as good as it gets. I am also looking forward to the travel and spending time with the team.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in this sport?
My coach, Bruce Scriven. There hasn’t been a session that I haven’t looked forward to with him, every time we going out to train I learn new things and get new doses of motivation out of it. On top of that and most importantly we have a laugh which is the best bit.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to become a professional Athlete?
The key is to be consistent, across all aspects of your training (sessions, recovery, nutrition, flexibility etc.). Also that sometimes less is more, you don’t want to work yourself too hard to the point where you break down, when people say there is always more that you can do that doesn’t mean loading up your body, it can include recovery, nutrition etc.
