By LEROY BRIDGES
H&R Staff Writer
It’s 6 a.m. when Lance Brooks rolls out of bed and immediately thinks about the gym. He won’t be there for at least another 8 hours, but Brooks is addicted to it. June is the heart of track & field season, so a heavier, less-toned Brooks is in the middle of the biggest month of his career. The 20 extra pounds he carries makes him more intimidating. Today, the 27-year-old is headed 60 miles north of Denver to Turner Oil and Gas Co., to put in four hours of work before his focus turns to his real job. Despite having to spend two hours commuting for the little time he puts in, the part-time gig helps ease the financial worries of an athlete trying to reach the pinnacle of a sport without a ball.
Fortunately for him, he’s almost there.
The 2006 Millikin graduate took an important step toward competing on the world’s biggest stage by proving he’s one of the country’s best discus throwers last week. It was a third-place throw of 63.42 meters at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The performance means he can represent the United States at the World Championships, if he notches a 65-meter throw (the A-standard) before Aug. 8.
“It was surreal waking up the next morning having 40 text messages from other throwers, athletes, friends and family,” Brooks said. “It’s big time now.”
Soon after finishing his shift, Brooks passes the time on his drive home by mentally mapping out his workout. It’s always a two-and-a-half hour session with his roommate, Doug Goldstein, also a Millikin grad, who doubles as his physical therapist, but the routine is never the same.
The two former Millikin athletes bonded over an obsession for exercise. This isn’t the type of exercise most can relate too. The YouTube video of Brooks jumping from a stand-still onto a 57-inch stack of boxes (that’s 4-feet-9) made former Olympian hammer thrower Steve Deautremont fall out of his chair. There’s also the one with Brooks showcasing his upper body strength by hoisting 455 pounds twice.
“What I saw was an amazing human specimen that had size, explosiveness and quickness,” said DeAutremont, who was the 1974U.S.hammer throw champion, about seeing Brooks throw for the first time.
Some who watched Brooks run the floor for Millikin’s basketball team remember those qualities, too. Despite not possessing the most skill, he was known for throwing down vicious dunks. More than half a decade later, it’s Brooks’ freakish athleticism that’s helped him grasp a technique-driven field event. Up until weeks before the national championships, Brooks was ranked No. 1 in country and eighth in the world. Then he pulled a chest muscle and a couple others threw well, but Brooks’ third place was striking considering he missed a lot of training.
“To do what he did at that meet without being able to train hard in the past 6 weeks, that’s pretty amazing,” Deautremont said.
When his agent signed him up for the competition he still hadn’t inked a sponsorship deal. That changed with Nike backed him just before he put his name in mix for the World Championships, which are in Korea in late August, and potentially the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Now, the size 17 shoes he always struggled to find are piling up in his bedroom. Instead of paying his way to meets around the states or internationally, Brooks gets invited, which takes care of the financial burden (flight, hotel, food, etc.). That makes the looming three-week trek to Europe to bring home his A-standard throw do-able.
“A lot has changed in the last three years,” Brooks said. “I thought four years (until the Olympics) would take forever, but it’s gone by so fast. A lot of blood, sweat and tears.”
All of the sacrifice Brooks and his supporters have gone through since he began his dizzying journey is inspiring Brooks. He wants to compete in Korea then make the Olympic team and position himself for a gold medal, whether that is next summer or 2016. All of that, combined with making a trip back to New Berlin with hardware makes it all worth it.
“A little bit of everything,” Brooks said about why he continues his quest. “Making the world championship team, Olympic team, bringing everything back to the hometown, showing everybody I appreciate them.
“You have to have a loving and sacrificing family.”
When Brooks leaves Tuesday for Madrid he begins a stretch where he could wind up on the road seven out of eight weeks. Stops could include Champaign, Sweden and Korea. The final one won’t become a possibility until that 65-meter throw is in hand. Once he gets it, he will head home to rest his body, which still means ridiculous amounts of training.
Brooks wouldn’t have it any other way.
lbridges@herald-review.com|421-6970
H&R Staff Writer
It’s 6 a.m. when Lance Brooks rolls out of bed and immediately thinks about the gym. He won’t be there for at least another 8 hours, but Brooks is addicted to it. June is the heart of track & field season, so a heavier, less-toned Brooks is in the middle of the biggest month of his career. The 20 extra pounds he carries makes him more intimidating. Today, the 27-year-old is headed 60 miles north of Denver to Turner Oil and Gas Co., to put in four hours of work before his focus turns to his real job. Despite having to spend two hours commuting for the little time he puts in, the part-time gig helps ease the financial worries of an athlete trying to reach the pinnacle of a sport without a ball.
Fortunately for him, he’s almost there.
The 2006 Millikin graduate took an important step toward competing on the world’s biggest stage by proving he’s one of the country’s best discus throwers last week. It was a third-place throw of 63.42 meters at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The performance means he can represent the United States at the World Championships, if he notches a 65-meter throw (the A-standard) before Aug. 8.
“It was surreal waking up the next morning having 40 text messages from other throwers, athletes, friends and family,” Brooks said. “It’s big time now.”
Soon after finishing his shift, Brooks passes the time on his drive home by mentally mapping out his workout. It’s always a two-and-a-half hour session with his roommate, Doug Goldstein, also a Millikin grad, who doubles as his physical therapist, but the routine is never the same.
The two former Millikin athletes bonded over an obsession for exercise. This isn’t the type of exercise most can relate too. The YouTube video of Brooks jumping from a stand-still onto a 57-inch stack of boxes (that’s 4-feet-9) made former Olympian hammer thrower Steve Deautremont fall out of his chair. There’s also the one with Brooks showcasing his upper body strength by hoisting 455 pounds twice.
“What I saw was an amazing human specimen that had size, explosiveness and quickness,” said DeAutremont, who was the 1974U.S.hammer throw champion, about seeing Brooks throw for the first time.
Some who watched Brooks run the floor for Millikin’s basketball team remember those qualities, too. Despite not possessing the most skill, he was known for throwing down vicious dunks. More than half a decade later, it’s Brooks’ freakish athleticism that’s helped him grasp a technique-driven field event. Up until weeks before the national championships, Brooks was ranked No. 1 in country and eighth in the world. Then he pulled a chest muscle and a couple others threw well, but Brooks’ third place was striking considering he missed a lot of training.
“To do what he did at that meet without being able to train hard in the past 6 weeks, that’s pretty amazing,” Deautremont said.
When his agent signed him up for the competition he still hadn’t inked a sponsorship deal. That changed with Nike backed him just before he put his name in mix for the World Championships, which are in Korea in late August, and potentially the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Now, the size 17 shoes he always struggled to find are piling up in his bedroom. Instead of paying his way to meets around the states or internationally, Brooks gets invited, which takes care of the financial burden (flight, hotel, food, etc.). That makes the looming three-week trek to Europe to bring home his A-standard throw do-able.
“A lot has changed in the last three years,” Brooks said. “I thought four years (until the Olympics) would take forever, but it’s gone by so fast. A lot of blood, sweat and tears.”
All of the sacrifice Brooks and his supporters have gone through since he began his dizzying journey is inspiring Brooks. He wants to compete in Korea then make the Olympic team and position himself for a gold medal, whether that is next summer or 2016. All of that, combined with making a trip back to New Berlin with hardware makes it all worth it.
“A little bit of everything,” Brooks said about why he continues his quest. “Making the world championship team, Olympic team, bringing everything back to the hometown, showing everybody I appreciate them.
“You have to have a loving and sacrificing family.”
When Brooks leaves Tuesday for Madrid he begins a stretch where he could wind up on the road seven out of eight weeks. Stops could include Champaign, Sweden and Korea. The final one won’t become a possibility until that 65-meter throw is in hand. Once he gets it, he will head home to rest his body, which still means ridiculous amounts of training.
Brooks wouldn’t have it any other way.
lbridges@herald-review.com|421-6970
Published in the Herald & Review in July 2011.
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