Taking his athletics to great heights, Russell Tucker, a third year Accounting Sciences student at Monash South Africa (MSA) has scooped up another accolade, making him a force to reckon with in the track and field segment of athletics for throwing Discus. Following his wins at various other competitions, Russell recently competed at the World Student Games in South Korea, taking the 7th position among many talented throwers.
Growing up in Dainfern, Fourways; Russell attended Dainfern College and soon after matriculating made his way to the University of Pretoria to pursue Sports Sciences due to his passion for sports. Admitting that he is a motivated person, sometimes competitive at heart, once he had completed his Sports Sciences degree; Russell took a decision to register at MSA for his Accounting Sciences degree in 2013. Burning with enthusiasm to achieve in every area of his life, particularly in athletics, this world class thrower confirms that he has been an active athlete since the age of three, with hopes that one day he would grow into a champion in his own right.
Being a champion was certainly in sight as Russell made strides in the world of athletics. He asserts that he has a great support system, with solid guidance and encouragement from his coach and family members. Since he started throwing, he has worked hard to build his athletic profile and strive for excellence. Dating back to 2011, Russell’s top accomplishments range from winning the under 23 South Africa Championships for Discus for two consecutive years; in the same year he represented South Africa at the All Africa Games in Mozambique for the first time and went home with a bronze medal. One of his proudest moments was receiving a silver medal at the Africa Championships in Benin in 2012.
With all his achievements in mind, Russell says that one of his toughest challenges was trying to strike the balance between his studies and training for his next win. He further mentioned how he trains for 5 to 6 hours a day to work on his form, big match temperament and overall technique.
Speaking about his life philosophy, Russell says that this is based on the “N-Game” approach, “being the best you can be in every second of the day, doing everything to the best of your ability and never giving up no matter how hard it is”.
As he awaits 2016, Russell is aiming to participate in the Olympics and continues in his determined streak of acquiring more medals for Discus.