Meet sponsored member Marty! Marty has just come back from London representing the country in shot put… This guy is an absolute legend and a valued member of the ETC community! Here is his story…

In July 2014, while playing gridiron (American Football) with the Geelong Buccaneers, I sustained a serious leg injury that ended my 11 season career. A tackle went wrong, causing my knee to dislocate and completely damaging the ligaments and nerves in my leg. I was originally advised by doctors that I may not ever walk normal again or play the sport I loved so much.

A week later I had a full knee reconstruction and began the rehab process. Unfortunately the nerves in the lower leg, were damaged, resulting in the loss of motor and sensory function below the knee. I was not in a good headspace during the initial days, but soon knew I needed to set a new goal in order to move forward. While still in a hospital bed, I contacted the Australian Paralympic Committee and arranged a meeting to go through my options.

Four weeks later, I met with Tim Matthews from the APC and decided that I would go down the athletics path, and began training in shot put the following week. Fast forward 3 years and thousands of throws later, I am now starting to find myself as a thrower and have represented my country in shot put at the World Championships.

 

You’ve just returned from the World Championships (what an accomplishment!), tell us about that experience?

The World Championships were incredible! Just making the team was a huge achievement for me, and having the opportunity to represent your country in the Green & Gold is something that every athlete strives for. Nothing can quite prepare you for the moment you walk into the stadium to the roar of thousands of fans in the stands.

Being part of a team that is full of World Champions and Paralympians is an amazing experience. The level of professionalism and support is second to none and an amazing thing to be a part of.

 

What was the highlight for you?

For me it was definitely being out in the circle with athletes you have looked up to and watched hundreds of times in videos and on TV. It was an awesome feeling to be out there competing with the world’s best.

 

How do you stay motivated and focused to keep training and kicking goals?

I have always set the bar high in regards to my goals and commit myself to achieving them. I have always said, “Do it with passion or not at all”. While I compete in a solo sport, I still train with the intention to make a contribution to the team and the uniform.

To be given the opportunity to wear the Green and Gold is an absolute honour. For me wearing it, means that I owe it the respect that it deserves by committing myself to be the best version of me possible.

 

What has been the toughest challenge for you during your career?

I have always enjoyed a challenge and find that making it through the tough times is a key factor to what drives me. In London, I finished 4th. I am happy with a fourth placing, but disappointed in not producing a PB when it mattered the most.

In saying that, I have learned so much from my experience at the World Championships and I feel it has made me a better athlete moving forward. I am excited to get my next block of training underway. I now know where the rest of the world is situated and where I fit in and can move forward with the knowledge of what I need to do to improve my standing.

 

You’re about to start prepping for the Commonwealth Games Selection, what training does this involve?

Yes, and I couldn’t be more excited! The Comm Games are on the Gold Coast in April 2018 and to have the opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd, would be incredible. I start a 4 week mobility and conditioning block today, so the plan is to improve body composition and increase my functional mobility.

From there we will look to add some muscular development and strength components. This preparation will be very different to what I have done before and will be heavily throws based. I have a strong base to work from and we are trying to add some more range and explosiveness to the package. Exciting times.

 

What advice would you give other aspiring athletes?

Be adaptable and relentless in the chase for your dreams and goals. There will be many challenges along the way and how you respond to each of them will ultimately be the difference between achieving your goals or not.

Learn from your failures. Establish what you did well and build on it. Don’t focus on what went wrong, investigate the Why and implement a plan to correct it.

Always believe you are awesome and that you can always be more awesome. Last, but not least…Have some damn fun!

 

Thanks heaps for taking the time to hear from me. I look forward to seeing you all around the gym.

Follow Marty’s journey on Facebook here!