I have a long held belief that the stars of my sport are supremely under acknowledged for being the studs that they are. Here are some of the most amazing, talented individuals on Earth and many people don’t know their name or really even grasp what it is they do. I firmly believe that if more people understood the sport and it was showcased properly, we would have tons of fans and the sport as a whole would blossom. Many of our stars would be household names, just like it is in Europe. You wouldn’t have to ask someone to name a track athlete and hear only Carl Lewis…Jackie Joyner-Kersee…Marion Jones.
This next week I want to personally introduce you to some of these fabulous people. I am a personal fan of all of them both on and off the track. I want for them to share with you what it is they do and most importantly, let their personality shine through so you can’t wait to cheer for them. Because let’s be honest…it’s probably why most of you cheer for me. I write about my random, silly life so that you get to know me, and in doing so, hopefully that makes you take a vested interest in seeing me succeed. Or…you’re just bored at work. Heck if I know.
I encourage you to check back every day this week to read a little more about some of the awesome folks out here in Doha with me, who are preparing to do some big things next weekend and the World Indoor Championships. And if you weren’t a fan already, I bet you become one!
7 comments:
Oh please, there are plenty of track & field blogs. The truth, we don't read your blog to learn about other track & field athletes. You don't have to indirectly self promote yourself via the sport. Keep being original. You can do it! We like YOU!
I'd like to thank you for doing these interviews, and agree that the sport would be greatly helped by being more "fan friendly."
While I'm a much bigger track fan than any sport in the winter olympics, I often times caught myself thinking "Why do I care if so and so wins. I didn't even know who they were until 3 days ago, and I know absolutely nothing about them."
Getting to know more about you and other athletes through blogs and twitter actually makes me feel like I'm rooting for "actual people" and not just a country.
@wiiqi...thanks. i like that perspective.
@anonymous...at the end of the day, it's still my blog, filled with my ideas. can't please everybody! i know a lot of people will appreciate something different. if you aren't one of them, take a short hiatus and see you the following week!
@stephen...i agree with you. it makes it easier and more enjoyable to root for people.
The time I have devoted to researching track and field has covered many aspects of this sport. Inspect the multitude of websites and blogs of track and field athletes and you will find a mess. Websites and blogs that are generally done by amateurs with little thought or effort in regard to content or the demographic they should target. I have referred a few business owners about Ms. Glenn as an athlete to check out. Each has told me they enjoy her her style of writing, something I made no mention of, also they like her website. Yes potential sponsors do check out what they are spending money on.
Notice the NFL and NBA have taken back control of their (employees) athletes public image, including twitter accounts, blogs and websites. So if you attend events like the 2010 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference you would understand how to stay a step ahead; or at least keep up. "You can do it, We like you", is not insightful enough for track and field athletes to become competitive in the sports entertainment industry.
What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. (I found that gem from Eleanor Powell recently and I just love it!) I've come to believe that self improvement and pushing the boundaries of our own potential are great things to put at the center of our lives. I enjoy hearing about the track stuff in particular and find your writing to be very accessible. Introducing other athletes here on you blog is a great idea and I look forward to it.
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