NK Fitness and new Ascot personal trainer Sam Challis introduces us to his sport of Long jump. Long jump has always been a sport that I have found challenges me both physically and mentally.
Long Jump in Numbers
My personal best of 7.56 meters has been a hard yet challenging achievement so far in my career. Having pushed myself through countless hours of training and competition, inevitably it has taken me all over the world from UK, to Europe, to USA . The latter is where I went to university for the past 6 years. We will touch on that in another blog.
I have had the incredible honor of representing my country on the world stage, getting the chance to compete against some of the best in the world.
My first experience of long jump when I was 14/15 where I took part in school athletics as a sprinter and then my school teacher said I should try triple jump, as I was fast and springy. I then joined a club where I started off by sprinting but I didn’t really enjoy the running workouts, so I switched to long jump. I then found my coach, Danny sawyers, who trained me until I left for America when I was 18. Before I left for America my personal best was 7.25 meters.
The first few years wasn’t great for me in America due to new coaches and adjusting to an entire new set up, I actually didn’t perform well and I went backwards only jump 6.78m my first year. The next few years I started to get my mojo back and started to jump some of the best distances i have ever done, 7.56mw.
No sign of stopping
The adrenaline rush I get when I compete is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. The pressure, the focus, and the split second that can either put you in first place or second, when everything comes together at the right time just feels special. I love the challenge of constantly improving and testing my limits.
The world record, standing at 8.95 meters, continues to inspire me; it’s a reminder of what’s possible with dedication, and it fuels my passion to keep jumping further and higher every time I step on the runway. I look forward to bringing this energy to my role with NK Fitness as their new Ascot personal trainer.