MainAthlet International – The Track & Field Podcast

Angela Bickel is a firefighter, a world champion in the weight throw — and the newest inductee into the USATF Masters Athletics Hall of Fame.In this episode, we celebrate her 2026 Hall of Fame honor and revisit our conversation with Angela from the World Masters Athletics Championships, where she took W50 gold in the weight throw.Her path to the top was anything but straight: gymnast turned hurdler, heptathlete turned shot putter, Olympic Trials qualifier at 29, firefighter for 17 years — and she didn't return to competition until she was 40.Angela talks about the two kinds of adrenaline she lives with (butterflies in the ring vs. the rush of running into a fire), why it's never too late to find your event, and what drives her to keep competing at the highest level.Plus: What is the USATF Masters Hall of Fame? We break down what it takes to earn this honor — and spotlight a few legends who came before Angela.🏅 Topics: USATF Masters Hall of Fame, weight throw, shot put, masters athletics, firefighter athlete, W50, competing after 40📩 Have a Hall of Fame in your country? Tell us! Email info@mainathlet.com or DM us on Instagram @mainathlet.

World Masters Athletics Championships Daegu 2026 – August 22 to September 3.In this episode, a representative from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC)joins Boyke to give international athletes the inside track on everythingthat matters: competition venues, shuttle buses, free transport cards for allparticipants, training facilities, accommodation booking, medical andphysiotherapy services, and how the LOC is managing the heat.But this is more than a logistics briefing. Daegu is about to become the firstcity in history to host both the Indoor and Outdoor World Masters AthleticsChampionships – a dream that started with the 2017 Indoor event and comes truethis summer. Our guest also shares personal tips for first-time visitors: whereto eat, what to see, a few Korean phrases that will get you far, and why theAthlete Holiday programme is worth planning around.If you're competing in Daegu or still deciding whether to register – thisepisode is your starting point.

Amanda Bisk is a former elite pole vaulter who represented Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. After being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in 2011, she was forced to step away from competitive athletics entirely – and build something new.What followed was a complete reinvention: yoga instructor, Pilates coach, personal trainer, CrossFit coach, and founder of a fitness app with over 600,000 Instagram followers. Now, at 40, she's back on the runway – jumping 3.85m in Masters pole vault and preparing for the World Masters Championships in Daegu.In this episode, Boyke and Amanda talk about the identity crisis that comes with retirement, what longevity really means for a former elite athlete, and how coaching masters athletes compares to coaching professionals.Topics covered: Masters athletics, chronic fatigue & recovery, pole vault technique, longevity training, building a fitness business, competing at 40+, World Masters Championships Daegu 2026.

Damian Maxwell grew up in a town of 6,000 people in Jamaica. Today he teaches mathematics at a US college, coaches sprinters, pursues a PhD – and competes at masters athletics level on three continents.In this episode of the MainAthlet International Podcast, Damian talks about the road from being a parish champion in Jamaica to winning bronze at the World Masters Games in Taiwan – in the triple jump, an event he had never seriously trained for.He breaks down:– How he walked away from track at 16 because of his faith  and came back a decade later with a fire nobody expected– His training reality: self-coached, knee injury, PhD deadlines,  and still posting 11.2 in the 100m– Why sub-11 in the 100m and sub-22 in the 200m are not dreams  but targets he's actively working toward– How masters athletics became a mental health tool, a global  community, and a second career in content creation– What he'd tell anyone on the fence about joining the masters  community: go for itDamian also serves as PR representative for Jamaica Masters and is building visibility for a sport that most people discover far too late. His message is simple: your current situation does not dictate your final destination.A conversation about faith, discipline, reinvention – and what it really takes to compete at the world level after 30.Follow Damian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d.a_max/Find all episodes at mainathlet.de

In this episode, we speak with Beatrice Puiu, a Romanian masters heptathlete who continues to compete at an exceptionally high level and is now chasing a major goal in masters track and field: the W40 heptathlon world record. This conversation goes far beyond competition results. It is about performance, identity, motherhood, longevity, recovery, and what it takes to stay strong, focused, and motivated in athletics over the long term.Beatrice Puiu shares how her journey in track and field began in Romania, why the heptathlon became the perfect fit for her personality, and how different coaches influenced her development as a multi-event athlete. One of the strongest themes in this episode is her belief in quality over quantity. Instead of relying on endless training volume, she built her athletic system around high-quality sessions, technical precision, discipline, consistency, and smart recovery. For listeners interested in heptathlon training, masters athletics, women in track and field, high jump, hurdles, strength training, and athletic longevity, this episode offers both inspiration and practical value.The episode also explores the personal side of elite sport. Beatrice speaks openly about becoming a mother at a young age, choosing family over outside pressure, and refusing to let medals or federation expectations define her worth. That mindset still shapes the way she trains and competes today. She is ambitious and highly competitive, but she is equally clear that sport is not her entire identity. One of the most powerful ideas in this conversation is that athletic success means much more when it is built on strong personal foundations.Beatrice also breaks down how she currently trains as a masters athlete in the United States. She explains her weekly structure, why she prefers shorter and more focused sessions, how she approaches lifting, and why recovery has become one of the most important parts of her performance system. She talks about mobility work, active recovery, core training, recovery boots, and red light therapy, giving listeners a detailed look into how she maintains elite-level ability at 40.This episode is ideal for athletes, coaches, and sports fans who care about masters heptathlon, track and field performance, sports mindset, recovery strategies, women in sport, and long-term athletic development. Beatrice Puiu’s story is a reminder that you can chase big goals, stay competitive, and keep growing in sport without losing yourself in the process.If you are looking for a powerful conversation about heptathlon, masters athletics, world-record goals, family, recovery, and mindset, this episode is for you.

In this English episode, we sit down with Valery Zhumadilov, one of the most fascinating figures in Masters athleticsright now. Born in Kazakhstan, trained through Estonia, and now helping build the future of Masters track and field in Kazakhstan, Valery shares how he went from road running and fitness training to becoming a competitive Masters sprinter with serious goals in the 100m, 200m, and even high jump.What makes this conversation so interesting is not just Valery’s speed, but his philosophy. At 64, soon entering the M65 category, he is still chasing progress while staying brutally clear about one thing: health comes first. His approach to training is built around long-term performance, not ego. He explains why many older athletes feel strong but still hit limits when they push too hard, and why building a healthy base is the foundation for any sustainable result in Masters sprinting.We also go deep into what his actual training looks like: three running sessions per week focused on speed, technique, and special endurance, plus strength work, plyometrics, coordination, mobility, and foot strength. He also talks about his belief in barefoot training, recovery through routine, and why consistency matters more than random hard sessions.Beyond training, this episode opens a rare window into the development of Masters athletics in Kazakhstan. Valery explains the logistical and financial challenges of organizing competitions in such a massive country, how travel alone can take days, and why building a real system for older athletes matters. He also shares how he helped organize the Masters Athletics Federation in Kazakhstan, multiple championships, and an international tournament in Shymkent.Mentally, Valery’s approach is just as strong. Instead of obsessing over medals or podiums, he focuses on process: waking up, breakfast, warm-up, race rhythm, and staying present. That mindset now fuels his next major goal: chasing an Asian record in the 200 meters.This episode is for anyone interested in Masters athletics, sprint training, healthy aging, track and field performance, sports mindset, longevity, mobility, strength training for older athletes, and international athletics development. It is also a strong reminder that performance does not end with age. In some ways, it only becomes more intentional.Keywords: Valery Zhumadilov, Masters athletics, Masters sprinting, over 60 athlete, sprint training, track and field, 200m, 100m, high jump, Kazakhstan athletics, healthy aging, sports longevity, barefoot training, mobility, plyometrics, mental preparation, Masters championships.