Please give us a rundown on who you are and what you do?
My name is Samuel Tanner. I am a bit of an adrenaline junky and love going fast. The sport I compete in is 800m and 1500m track race in athletics and currently hold 5 New Zealand Records ranging from the1500m distance to the Under18 6km road race. I’ve been competing in this sport since I was little, but started training in February 2017 and have loved every moment representing my country at different events. Up until this point I grew up as a surfer, skater, snowboarder and loved all board sports and the adventures they took me on.
What does a typical (in season) day look like for you?
A typical day for me looks like a solid healthy breakfast, usually a smoothie (containing beetroot powder or Bone Broth powder) with some cereal and fruit on it, then go to work with my dad, work around 6-8 hours a day then come home and go for a run. On days when I have a hard track training, I will finish work early to let my body rest and to fuel up with some good food, usually a home made fruit juice. Then do my session and if I’m lucky go for a surf after before it gets dark. I believe that going for a surf after is like a small add on to my training because it’s aerobically benefiting me and also strengthening my supporting muscles.
How do you keep health a priority while being so busy?
I am very lucky because keeping health a priority is easier for me than for most people due to the people I have around me. My grandparents are hard core garden frothers and provide me with almost every type of fruits and vegetables. In the day to day things I just like to set a routine so I keep my body healthy, this looks like me waking up and sleeping at similar times each day, having plenty of wholesome home grown foods and restricting the amount of processed foods I eat. However, I am still a teenage boy and treat myself with “unhealthy” options every now and then.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received that has helped you become the epic person you are today?
The best advice I have ever received is actually hard to say because as an athlete in development, I am always learning from older and more experienced people around me but one piece of advice would have to be from a whole lot of older athletes, one in particular was Olympic medalist Nick Willis, “Just be patient and let the times come.” To me this was great advice because I am the type of person to chase fast times because I love running fast. It helped me to realise the potential I have in running and to be patient with everything I do in training and in life.
What advice would you give any readers who want to follow in your footsteps?
Advice that I would give readers who want to follow in my footsteps would have to be to just try not get injured or sick because those are the things that kill opportunity to do things we all love.
What’s your favourite way to have any of our Mitchells products?
My favourite way to enjoy some of Mitchells Products is to put some Collagen Repair into my smoothies to add some flavour and a few extra vitamins to help the body, and also putting a few scoops of the Peptides and Bone Broth into the croc pot for dinners.
What’s your proudest moment so far?
My proudest moment so far would have to be when I came second at World secondary school cross county champs. This was the first time I got represent NZ on the world stage and it meant so much to come away with a close second in Paris!
What about your hardest moment, and how you dealt with it?
My hardest moment would have to be when I was young and not really training, I ran in the Colgate games (a kids athletics event) 1500m race when I had the stitch and pulled out. The embarrassment of pulling out made me look so weak and so I promised myself that I would never pull out of a race without a good reason (injury), not just because I was losing.
Finally, what’s your fav adventure spot in New Zealand?
My favourite adventure spot within New Zealand have to be the Coromandel Peninsula and all the beaches along that cost. Dad grew up there and there is always a great spot to surf.
