World champion discus throwers can be the hairiest, bulkiest and ugliest sports people in track and field. And the men are not much better either!
Frankly, it’s not one of the most glamorous events out there. Which is partly why Cayman’s fabulously gifted discus champ Alexandra ‘Nemo’ Terry is not that enthused about the sport.
Yes, she enjoys it and has achieved a lot already in her short life, but the fact that none of the world beaters are likely to be in a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue rankles.
Terry says: ‘When I go back into serious training I’ll have to go back to the gym and lift weights. I hate the gym. I don’t have any choice but I don’t like it. I don’t want big muscles and don’t want to look like a man.
‘If I’m still doing it in a few years, instead of being big and bulky I’ll be toned up. I’d hate to be like those big things at the Olympics. I hear that one or two Russians and Swiss champions are really skinny and really toned and strong. That’s how I’m going to be.’
For someone who has just turned 16, she’s very focused. For example, she has set three high-achieving career options for herself; forensic scientist, economist or lawyer. They all involve working problems out, intense analysing and a great deal of studying heavy, complicated topics. She is unperturbed. ‘They are all interesting and a lot of fun,’ she says. In the meantime Nemo will finish high school at John Gray – hopefully with a clutch of CXC exams to her name and go on to sixth form or the UCCI.
Multi-talented, Terry’s first athletics interest was high jump. She has already jumped just below her own height of 5ft 6in and can do shot putt, sprint and long jump with ease. Maybe she’s a heptathlete in the making.
Discus is the main focus at present, mainly because Cayman’s athletic coach Kenrick Williams spotted her ability at it. ‘My personal best is 38.9 metres but I’ve thrown much further in training.’
That’s way short of the 74.55m world record, but Terry is around 10 years away from her peak and already throwing so well that she came second in the Carifta Games in April and took silver against adults at the Island Games in July in Rhodes when still only 15.
‘The person who beat me (Lauren Therin) was 20,’ she says. ‘But I did beat 10 others and I did throw my personal best there. At first I felt intimidated because they were all huge. I only weigh 126lbs.’ (Therin also won the shot and javelin.) ‘She’s thick and huge and went to the World Juniors. It was good experience. I got a chance to compete against older people.’
Technique in discus is more vital than most other throwing events. There are three types of techniques, from standing, to South African (half turn) to the most difficult full turn. Nemo started doing the full turn this year and is progressing well.
At the rate she’s going the target of attending her first Olympics in 2012 in London should not be a problem.
Mum Jenna says: ‘If Alexandra had continued in high jump she would be pretty good now. She’s pretty good at everything so coach Williams was thrilled when he discovered a discus thrower.
‘Since she was in pre-school she’s been good at everything, going back to T-ball. She used to play football as a keeper and was part of the netball team that won the championship three years running. Tennis, rugby, basketball… she’s done it all. She also has a passion for softball and should have been in a tournament in Nicaragua last weekend but the women didn’t go in the end.
‘I’m not that sporty, I think she gets it from her dad, Mauricio and his side of the family. She doesn’t really have any competition here (the second best thrower is 12m behind) so she only competes abroad.
‘When we get a new track I hope it will bring in people and I hope she gets more competition here. Academically, she’s doing well too. If her academics weren’t there she wouldn’t be allowed to do all this sport. What I like about her is that she never says she can’t.’
Coach Williams has high hopes for Nemo. ‘I think she’s the real deal,’ he says. ‘Barring this aversion to lifting weights she can definitely be a world class discus thrower. I keep telling her that not all throwers are big. Even some of the Americans are slim.
‘The plan is to get her a scholarship to a university in the States and see her develop well enough over the following few years to compete at the London Olympics.’
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