Shallow aims high
Vincentian field athlete Adonson Shallow following his first nine months of a two year, Olympic athletics scholarship at Central Arizona College in the USA, is fully embracing the opportunity.{{more}}
The 20 year old Shallow said he was already making improvements all round.
Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT last Tuesday as he went through his routines at the Grammar School Playing Field, Shallow said, âI am much stronger, fitter and more focused and a much better athleteâ.
âI have lost weight but I have gained muscle massâ, disclosed a noticeable leaner Shallow.
Most significantly, he revealed that his technique in the discus has changed.
âIt has been a big change for me from the glide to the rotation techniqueâ, Shallow said with a distinct US accent.
He said that this change has already paid dividends as he was able to improve markedly his discus throw. Shallow said that it was during a meet last month that he threw his personal best of 58.11 meters up from his previous best of 52.35 in the event.
A better equipped Shallow said he is able to squat 800 lbs, bench 450, leg press over 1000 and clean 400 lbs.
He acknowledged though that the first couple of months he got off to a slow start having to adjust to the food and affected by a broken finger.
But when he got going he made amends.
âI was two time All American, and won the discus and shot putt at regionalâ, Shallow said.
Not short of competition, the former Emmanuel High School Kingstown student stated that he was exposed to meets every weekend.
âBut my coach chooses certain games for me especially those when the big throwers are competing, so I have participated in twelve games from January to Mayâ, he added.
The holder of medals at Junior Carifta and at the Caribbean and Central American (CAC) level, Shallow is looking forward to represent St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the NACAC open and Panam Games before heading back to the US for his second year.
A student of Computer Programming at that Arizona institution, Shallow scored a 3.9 and 3.6 average in his first two semesters. He plans to up his distance in the Shot Putt to over 19 meters and is aiming for 64 meters in the Discus.
With the latter being his pet event, Shallow is hoping that if he achieves this feat, he would be in line for a trip to the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.
âThe Olympics is definitely in the picture; thatâs my main goal for next yearâ, he concluded.
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