Upper Highway’s Zane takes his shot at glory
The local 25-year-old has qualified to compete in the 2021 Olympic Games for shot put.
WINSTON Parks’ gifted and humble athlete, Zane Weir recently qualified to compete in the 2021 Olympic Games for shot put and, as he holds dual passports, made the emotional decision to compete for Italy in honour of his Italian grandfather, who no longer recognises him due to Alzheimers disease.
When did your interest in shot put begin?
Shot put was first introduced to me at a general athletics camp in primary school, which I was invited to because of my sprinting performances. We had the opportunity to throw plastic honey containers filled with beach sand. This gave our coach at the time an indication that something in the sport resonated with my ability. From there, I grew from strength to strength within the sport.
What other accolades do you have for the sport?
My other accolades within the sport of shotput are actually few and far between. I won SA junior championships in 2014 which was my first and best result up until that point.
How did it feel to qualify for the Olympic Games?
It is a beautiful tension of the opposites between a warm familiarity and an invigorating unfamiliarity. I’ve had years of vivid manifestation and hard work to try and break through into this level of shot put and, while it feels somewhat deserving because of all the sacrifice, nothing ever prepares you for the explosive overwhelming sensations that are a result of a well-defined goal coupled with a meticulous level of discipline and sacrifice.
My Italian coach, Paolo Dal Soglio, has also independently been one of the biggest contributors to my recent success and has helped improve my performance from 19.09m to 21,11m in under 14 months.
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How do you prepare for the internationally recognised event?
Periodisation within strength and conditioning is such an integral part of professional performance. The early qualification allows us to have a better-structured plan that I can implement for a longer period of time which theoretically gives me a better chance to perform at a higher level.
Are you nervous at all?
I am motivated more than nervous. While nerves are an important part of performing, they are not beneficial at the moment. I intend on using the energy of my achievement to push through on the difficult days, when the body is sore and morale is low. In my experience, pressure and nervousness have always been a result of trying to prove something to someone else or hoping for a result I haven’t worked for. Even in perceived failure I will always have a rich learning experience.
What is it about shot put that kept you competing outside of high school athletics?
Realistically, shot put is a very strange sport. A group of adults trying to throw a heavy ball as far as possible. When you don’t oversimplify the sport, and you look into it from a principal perspective, that is where the beauty is hidden. I experience everything within my narrow world of shotput that I will experience throughout my whole life. From love and loss to success and disappointment. The only difference is that because it’s on a smaller and less significant scale, I feel it gives me a better and more frequent opportunity to try and manage these experiences and emotions for the more demanding and significant sport of life. I am a human being first and a professional sportsperson second. I am a firm believer that if you holistically devote a significant portion of your life to anything, it’s in that discipline that you will find and better yourself.
What are misconceptions people have about the sport?
One of the most significant is that size and strength are the most important. Technique is far too often overlooked by the casual shot put fan. My journey has and will continue to surprise people because I don’t have any of the expected stereotypical characteristics you would expect of a world-class shot putter. At 113kgs, with relatively unimpressive weightlifting totals, my distances won’t make sense to avid fans. I am excited to break these stereotypes and help inspire other athletes who are convinced their physical proportions are their limitation.
What are your other interests and hobbies?
I have a very unhealthy hobby of collecting second-hand books and a slightly slower hobby of getting around to reading them. I have never been a big reader but, after graduating, I became very interested in the culture and how easily I can improve my mind and therefore my interactions with people. I think the greatest wealth in this world is human connection and reading allows me to positively enhance that experience.
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What about the Olympic Games has you most excited?
The opportunity to test myself. To compete against some of the best in the world and see how I react in a new and demanding environment. However, so far the most rewarding part of my qualification to the games has been the tangible pride my parents feel. To know how much they have gone through to give me the best they could provide and for their selfless investment to have been rewarded in this way. I tear up at the thought.
How would you describe the sport to people who don’t know anything about it?
I would describe this sport as a poetic combination of explosive power and delicate, technical timing.
Tell us one thing about yourself that not many people know:
When I was born, my mother had a natural birth and I weighed 5.1kgs.
What is your current TV series binge?
I am not much of a TV guy, but one of my favourite shows of all time would be the Sopranos.
What is your current top song on your playlist?
As of right now, it is Far Out by Ben Howard. I have a very special ability to kill songs through repetition, not for myself but for others.
What motivates you to get up and train each day?
What often motivates me to get out of bed and train each day is the opportunity to get out of bed and train each day. You vibrate on a very special frequency when you are doing what you love. The overarching motivation is to enrich my life by doing what I love, being able to live in better harmony with myself and ultimately giving myself the best conditions to see how far I can take myself and others.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
