Renaldo Nehemiah, Jeff Benjamin and Micheal Carter, Sr. photo by Jeff Benjamin
Renaldo ‘Skeets’ Nehemiah is one of the finest 110m hurdlers in history. Having held 8 WRs in various hurdle distances, Renaldo was the first man under 13 seconds and his WR in 12.93 was, what he himself noted as less than ideal. His persona added to the sport, and his races with Greg Foster were exciting. I also enjoyed him competing for my football team, the San Francisco 49ers.
This editor (Larry Eder) has to admit that Renaldo is one of the agents and managers I miss most now that I am quarantined. His comments on the sport are focused, crisp and low on the bs meter, and he has helped me appreciate the absolute uniqueness of a winning mental attitude.
We thank Renaldo for his wise comments.
Awaiting The Baton In The Relay Exchange Zone – Profiles Of Athletes, Coaches & Legends During The War Against Corona
Profile # 25
Running Legend World Record Hurdles Running Legend Renaldo Nehemiah!
By Jeff Benjamin
What advice can you give to runners, -especially youth, high school, collegiate- who are challenged during this time as well?
“As a former professional and elite athlete, this is all about the mindset. We can choose to be positive or negative. Discipline is the word of the day. Surrendering to what we can’t control and taking advantage of the opportunities we do have. This presents an opportunity to be 100% physically fit. Taking advantage of this time to work on all of our fitness weaknesses. One can run up or down their street. One can ride a bike outdoors or indoors. One can lift weights if they have them or use their body as their gym as well as Stretching and Working on your flexibility.
Maintain a healthy eating diet. Stay away from the urge to binge on junk food, etc. This is an incredible opportunity to be better in every area of our lives – Faith, family and lifestyle.”
Since there’s no sports competing for anyone’s attention, take this opportunity to apply the same love of sports into your studies Put all of your efforts into being the best student that you can be. Prove to yourselves how you can prioritize your academics.. Stay focused and disciplined. This isn’t a vacation. It’s an opportunity to learn more about your respective sport. Learn by reading about your role models. Find online videos and study them.”
“Develop a Champion Mindset.”
Author
Jeff Benjamin has written for 30 years for American Track and Field along with RunBlogRun. The Former President of the Staten Island AC & Chair of the Staten Island Running Association was the 5th man scorer for his Susan Wagner High School NYC XC City Championship team. Also a member of the College of Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame for XC, Jeff currently serves as the LDR Chairman for USATF NY. A passionate (or fanatical) follower of the Sport, some of Jeff's subjects have included Sebastian Coe, Emma Coburn, Eamonn Coghlan, Matt Centrowitz, Jim Spivey, Galen Rupp, Joe Newton, Tom Fleming, Ajee’ Wilson, Bill Rodgers, Allan Webb, Abel Kiviat, Jordan Hassay, Marty Liquori, Caster Semenya, Rod Dixon, Carl Lewis and Jim Ryun as well as Book Reviews and articles covering meets and races in the Northeast U.S.
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