(BEFORE THEY WERE SUPERSTARS)
(MUTAZ ESSA BARSHIM, AGE: 19 DATE: MARCH 2011)
(SPORT: ATHLETICS LOCATION: DOHA, QATAR)
When I was young I used to play football,
but then I saw high jumping on TV
and it was much more appealing.
It was exciting. I loved it.
Mutaz was born and raised in Doha.
He was encouraged to try athletics by his father,
who was a middle-distance runner.
In 2009, Mutaz began working with
a Polish high jumping coach.
With my previous work in Europe,
I have been able to coach a world champion,
European champion and even a world record holder.
Here, I have found a rough diamond
and there's a lot of work to be done
in order to polish it.
A 19-year-old Mutaz was the reigning World Junior Champion,
and his personal best was 2.31 metres.
His dream was to compete at the Olympic Games.
My goal is the Olympics. One day, God willing,
I can win a medal there for Qatar.
I have my sights set on the 2012 Olympics.
I don't want people to think I'm too young.
There have been world champions younger than me.
Nothing is impossible.
We'll work hard and hopefully be successful, God willing.
To complement his huge natural talent,
Mutaz and his coach were working hard
to make sure that he was technically excellent.
Stanislaw was convinced that if Mutaz could achieve
consistency in his jumping,
then he could become a real star of the event.
He's one of the most talented jumpers I've seen.
During our training sessions and at competitions,
I have seen quite a few jumps that suggest
he will become the new world record holder.
Of course, he will have to remain healthy,
and we must not rush him.
Under the continued guidance of his coach,
Mutaz won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics,
and a silver medal four years later in Rio.
With hard training, the backing of my nation
and the support of my coach, God willing,
we'll achieve something.