Anthony Wyatt fields our questions

Team member Anthony Wyatt is one of our winning-est athletes, but we don’t always see his full practice. That’s because his specialty – field events – often requires off-site workout venues (especially the javelin!)
 
Here he shares what it takes to train for and excel at these various disciplines.
Leah Rewolinski
The Villages TLC Word Nerd
 
Which field events do you compete in currently?
I do the high jump, triple jump, long jump, javelin throw, discus throw and the hammer throw.
 
The pentathlon is comprised of five events, in this order: hammer throw, weight throw, shot put, javelin and discus. I’m #34 in the 2024 World Masters Ranking.
 
How often do you compete?
I competed in about 17 track meets last year and the year before. That was a lot! This year I have only competed in eight track events.
 
What got you started in the sport?
Seventeen years ago, my son’s high hurdle coach encouraged me to compete in Masters track. At that time I was encouraged to run the 50m and 200m, and compete in the high jump and long jump.
 
What’s your favorite event?
Currently my favorite field event is the javelin throw. I started throwing the javelin seven years ago, and at the end of year one, my best distance was 88 feet.
 
Now, seven years later, my best distance is 135 feet 10 inches, which landed me number one on the 2024 World Masters ranking from January to July of this year (for my age bracket, which is 75 to 79 years old.)
 
How do you train for a variety of events at once?
My training for certain events coincides with days of the week. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I focus on leg stretches and stretching before and after the workout. I do jogging, high knees, sprints, intervals and various run-ups for each event. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are for upper body exercises, including strengthening the back and core plus more neck, elbow, arm and shoulder flexibility.
 
And during competition, how do you maintain concentration while switching from one sport to another?
Concentrating and focusing from one event to the next is challenging. However, the mechanics and the steps for these events are somewhat similar. That is to say, the use of the lower body, the hips, the shoulders, the elbow, and the throwing motion are somewhat alike (in my mind). Over time, I feel that I’m able to apply those similar steps using the different implements at game time.
 
Describe how strength training, flexibility and other generalized aspects fit in.
Strength training and flexibility are of the utmost importance to me because that means I’m going to avoid injury and time out of competition.