Aiming for a bright Olympic medal in London 2012

Last Wednesday, I had a chance to interview Prince Mumba, a 27-year-old athlete, who is a member of Zambia's national track and field team. Mumba is already chosen as a candidate for the Men’s 800m in the upcoming London Olympic 2012 scheduled this summer.

He is now an Olympic athlete in track and field, but back in his youth, his dream was to become a soccer player. “Unfortunately, I injured my knee and I had to quit soccer when I was 12 years old. Then I started to run.” 

In his home country Zambia, soccer is promoted more than any other sport, and track, not as much. This is the reason he moved to the United States and chose Southern California as a place to train since the weather was similar to his home country.

“Even after I became a runner, I am still having a hard time with the condition of my knees, but I have to live with it. When it hurts badly or when the training is hard, it makes me want to quit running, but I wake up next day and I end up running. After all, I guess I love to run.”

Mumba trains everyday except for Sunday. “I train three hours a day, either at Santa Monica College or at the beach. I enjoy running both. Tracks are better for my knees and it is also better to keep track of my time. However, running along the beach is sometimes a good refresh.”

At the end of the interview, he told me what he wants to accomplish in the near future. “My goal and motivation are very simple. I want to compete in the London Olympics and win the medal. Even if I can’t get a medal, I definitely want to finish in the top 10,” Mumba said firmly.

“I am really looking forward to London and I am so excited to run the race. For the meantime, I have to keep training hard and take very good care of my knee so that I can compete with the top level athletes across the world.”

※ Take a look at how he trains : 

  Prince Mumba Shaping Up - Track Practice

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul-lsEAY6FI