New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh has taken to thinking outside the circle to keep his competitve edge sharp.
Tom Walsh Photo: Photosport
With Covid restricting international competition, Walsh made the decision early last year to stay home instead of competing overseas as usual.
But after a break, and with training now progressing well, the 28-year-old Christchurch man is looking to get the competitive juices flowing again with a day-long shot put challenge also involving Dame Valerie Adams, Ryan Ballantyne and Nick Palmer.
Beginning at 8am on Saturday, the quartet will aim to throw 20 metres at 21 different circles around Christchurch.
Just how long that might take is unclear: "God knows when we might finish..."
The throwers can all chose their shot put weight - Adams has opted for 3kg, Ballantyne 6kg and Palmer 5.5kg while Walsh will be working with the competition weight of 7.2kg.
"It doesn't sound like much considering I can throw 22m, but it's a whole-day affair and you only get four attempts at every circle," Walsh said.
"If you told me to try and do it 21 throws in a row, I wouldn't have a problem. But in terms of moving around, different circles and sitting in a van, it adds a different challenge."
Walsh, who has a best of 22.90m, says the unusual competition will test the quartert mentally as well as physically.
"I think that's the biggest thing. If you don't quite go as well as you think in one of the circles, how are you going to come back from it?
"We've never thrown so much in one day - there's going to be some sore bodies, but there's going to be some good times as well."
He says the pressure will be on, especially with a limited number of throws.
"You only get four attempts in each circle, so you don't keep slogging away there until you get it or you've had enough.
"There's going to be a lot of last-round stuff going on, especially if you're 15 circles in, coming to your last round and you still haven't got it," he said.
"There's going to be a lot of competitive juices pumping through the veins."
Walsh says the throwers will provide a huge amount of support for each other, but there'll almost certainly be a bit of niggle too.
"Sometimes you don't need support - sometimes you need prodding, sometimes you need a little bit of trash talk to get you across the line."
He is now looking ahead to the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in July, but has no regrets about the call not to compete overseas last year.
"I just thought it wasn't worth the risk. Because at that point, and even now, we still don't know the long-term effects of Covid-19.
"It was a hard choice to make because I love competing and I love travelling - having that taken away was really hard mentally," Walsh said.
"In terms of motivation, there were definitely points in time where I found it really hard to go to training because I started thinking 'why am I actually doing this?' But I've turned the corner now, seen a bit more light at the end of the tunnel.
Walsh says he'll definitely be competing overseas this year.
"I believe I need to compete against the best to be in the best shape at the Olympics."