Andretti Bain: Born to Run

Named after Mario Andretti, Andretti Bain was "born to run" and run fast. Andretti’s journey Motivated to make his dreams of becoming a champion a reality, he made his way to the United States for college. His path wasn’t an easy one, but with grit and faith, Andretti placed first in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA men’s 400 meter in 2008. That summer, he represented The Bahamas in Beijing, taking home the Silver in the Men’s 400 relay.
On today’s episode we cover Andretti’s unique story. From his triumphs on the world stage to his current role as a coach and mentor at Oral Roberts and Champion spirit Country Club. He shares with us how continues to inspire others to dream big, work hard, and have faith.

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Welcome to the Keiser Human Performance Podcast.

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The goal of this podcast. is to educate and inspire you to make the most of your

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journey in health and

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performance. Each episode will provide an in-depth discussion on a specific topic related to human performance.

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If you're a growth-minded

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individual seeking knowledge and better solutions,

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this podcast is for you. We're glad you're listening in, and we're excited to learn alongside

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you. My name is Gabe Durman, and joining me today is Olympic silver medalist and two-time NCAA champion Andretti Bain.

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Andretti's journey began

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in the Bahamas. From an early age, he knew his calling was

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to run. Motivated to make his dreams of becoming a champion a reality,

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he made his way to the United States

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for college. His path wasn't

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an easy one, but with grit and faith,

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Andretti placed first in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA men's 400 meter

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in 2008. That

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summer, he represented the Bahamas in Beijing,

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taking home the silver in the men's 400 relay.

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On today's episode, we cover Andretti's

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unique story, from his triumphs on the world stage to his current role as coach and

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mentor at Oral Roberts and Champion Spirit Country

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Club. He shares with us how he continues to inspire others to dream

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big,

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work hard,

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and have faith. Be sure to check out our episode notes to find out

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where you can follow and stay up to date on Andretti's journey.

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Enjoy

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the episode. Andretti Bain, the Bahamian Dream, how

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are you, my friend? Gabe, I am wonderful, man. So good to be here. How are you? I'm doing great.

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Thanks for asking. I know it's, it's been a few weeks since, uh, we met in Nassau, which was incredible.

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We had the chance to talk about training, to talk

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Keiser, um, then also spend some time with the new equipment there at Champion

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Spirit Country Club, but I think we both walked away from that visit with a really strong connection,

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so I'm glad that we get to do this today, and thank you for being

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with me. Definitely. I feel the same way, man. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I look forward to

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us collaborating on many more ventures together. I can't wait for that as well. Tell me and our listeners

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about life for the great Andretti Bain growing up

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in the Bahamas. Well, I appreciate the compliment on the greatness.

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Um,

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but I, I consider

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myself a,

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a plain

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old young kid from the Bahamas

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who's

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always believed in following,

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uh, his

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dreams.

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I started from the age of five, I think I

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identified what it was that I wanted to do, what I felt like my purpose

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was in life, and that was

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run. Basically, at five, that, that's what I felt like my purpose

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was growing up in the Bahamas.

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I played multiple sports,

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was never really good at hardly

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any of them, but track and field was the one that I just gravitated to

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the most.

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Um, I was encouraged or inspired by the success of

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my uncle, who ran track and field, and so I saw his med- medals, his ribbons, his trophies,

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and

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that inspired me. I wanted to achieve those same

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things. And so just growing up,

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career days in

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school, I would have my friends saying that they wanted to be doctors, lawyers,

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uh, my dad is a pharmacist,

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and

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for me, my only answer

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was I wanted to run. So much so that I got teased oftentimes in school because my friends would be

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the ones saying, "Andretti wants to run around a circle for the rest

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of his life."

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And it was through me following my passion, my passion of track and

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field, that I felt like I discovered the purpose that, that's for my life.

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And so growing up in the Bahamas

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was great. Um, tropical climate,

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beach

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all the time, uh, tropical fruits, you're eating from the trees, you're eating from just off the side of the

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street in terms of the fruit trees. Um, it, it was great. It was a, a real nice happy place.

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So

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two questions. One, were you always the fastest

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kid a- at a young age? And number

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two, what was it about running? I mean, I know you said your uncle was a big influence on you,

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but, but what was it? What were those feelings? Why did

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you just only

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wanna run? No, I was not always the fastest kid. As a matter of fact, that's something that I have

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continually worked on my entire life, basically. Um,

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I remember when I started, I was one of the youngest kids,

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and so what we would consider giving someone a head start, you put someone

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5, 10, 15 meters ahead of you, and you would have to try and catch them. Well, I was

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always that kid who had that head start.

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And I remember a neighbor of mine growing up back in

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the Bahamas,

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he always said,

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"Andretti, you're getting

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better, so I'm going to reduce your head start."

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And he started to reduce it slowly but surely, slowly but surely, and

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I remember it was, you know, months

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when I finally

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was able to line off next to all of my neighbors, and I was finally able

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to beat them. And same going into school. I wasn't always the best, but I was always one who kept

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working because I wanted to be the best. Uh, what about running that, that made me feel as if that's,

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that was my purpose, that was my calling?

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I don't know. I just felt free. I

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just felt as if that was something that brought me enjoyment.

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I felt like it was something that,

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that

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got people to accept me and see me for who I am and, and, and what I enjoy.

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And

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so I, I just always gravitated to it. I, I-Like I said, I played other sports, but none

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really felt the same as when I was on the track or when I was lining off racing someone. I

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think there's just

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that, just that, that, that, that adrenaline rush

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of knowing, "Okay, I'm lining off against someone," or, "I'm lining up to- against

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someone, and may

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the best man win."

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And so, uh, you know, that's probably the best way that I could explain that, and, and the expression or

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the feeling that I got from track

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and field. Incredible. So tell us about this dream and the evolution of this dream, because as you grow up,

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as you continue to race against people and win and, and you start to realize, like, "I'm pretty good

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at this," when did that dream start to turn into a very real reality

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as you grew

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older? Great question, Gabe. I think for me, that dream became

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a reality... So at 14, I started traveling globally

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as part of the Bahamas national team.

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And

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so,

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you know, I would go everywhere, throughout the Caribbean, throughout Europe.

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I would go throughout

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the US, um,

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South America, Latin America, wherever

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it was. And

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I started

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to see not only

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that I was the best in the Bahamas or one of the best

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in the Bahamas, but that I was also,

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you know, classed as one of the best throughout the

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world. And, um,

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coming

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down to the end of,

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of high

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school, and it's time now to make a decision

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for, for college,

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and I started to see more and more that one,

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track would be an opportunity for me to be able to go off to a university

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and get a free education via a scholarship.

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And so

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at that point, that's when I really started to zone in and started to see the future that,

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that track and field could provide me, or the opportunities that track and field can

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provide me. So tell me about that recruiting process.

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And, uh, you know,

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as

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an average fan, I look at track and field, and I usually think of these big universities.

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There are some big name brands that you would think of when you think about track

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and field.

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And when we started talking, you know, you informed me, "Hey, I went to

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Oral Roberts," and I was surprised to hear that somebody that had so much success... And nothing against Oral Roberts,

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it's just not necessarily one of the schools that you really

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hear, um, of when you think of these big track and field programs. And for someone like yourself who had

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been traveling from age 14 around the world to compete, and clearly you know that you're one of the best,

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tell me about this recruiting process and really how you ended up at

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Oral Roberts.

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So funny, funny enough you would say that, because

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I also thought that I would be a candidate for a big name

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school. Um, I remember I wanted to go to University

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of South Carolina

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just

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from the richness of their track and field history.

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And, uh, you know, I figured I'd be at one of the major schools, 'cause like I said, I came

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out,

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um, I graduated high school as the top 400 meter runner and top 400 meter hurdler in

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the Bahamas,

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and third throughout

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the Caribbean. As a matter of fact,

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one

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of my care- excuse me, one of my career highlights is at the Caribbean Junior Championships where I had beaten

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Usain Bolt in the 400 meters in the heats at

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Carifta. That's our Caribbean

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Junior Championships.

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And so I felt like persons or schools should have been able to recognize my talent,

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recognize

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my grit, my determination,

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and I honestly thought that I would have been a top recruit to any

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school.

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And it

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narrowed it down

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where Nebraska, the University of Nebraska

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w- they were interested, but

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they weren't prepared to give me a full scholarship.

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And then University of South

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Carolina, they were interested, but they had some other guys that

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they were more or less focused on, and these were some guys who, who had beaten me earlier, and I

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guess for them, they were the top

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recruits. And so it just worked out that

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at the time, he was the high school physical education coach, Bernell McKenzie,

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and he was my high school physical education coach, and he attended Oral Roberts

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University. So he did all the recruiting for ORU. As a matter of fact, I remember just one day in

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school he came and he presented me with a scholarship paper and he says,

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"Hey, sign this. ORU is interested."

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And at that time, that was my first time ever hearing about Oral Roberts University,

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um, until I started to do a little bit more research, and then I realized,

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okay,

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well, I think the most famous Bahamian who would have attended Oral Roberts was Dr. Myles Munroe, the late Dr.

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Myles

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Munroe. And so

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the more research I did, the more I

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realized this seems like a

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school for persons who are wanting to get into the ministry, not someone who wanted to be a professional athlete.

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And so

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I kind of placed it on the back burner. I was still really focused on some

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of the other schools, some of the major schools. Um,

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and then they presented two

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of my friends a scholarship opportunity as well. So that started to increase my interest because now I'm saying, "Okay,

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if those

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other schools don't provide me a full scholarship," which was the only way that I would have been able to

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go off to a university,

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because I felt like I was deserving of a full

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scholarship,

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um, I said, "I'll go to ORU

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with my friends." And I remembered I, I kept holding out for the last minute. University of South Carolina never

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came through, kept holding off. And so when I signed for ORU,

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I was like, "Okay, well,

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th- this is it."

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And I went there, and as soon as I signed

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with ORU, I felt

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like, "There's no way I made the right choice."

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Like, I finally got on campus, and I loved the school. I loved the university.

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And-I did not see track and field as a focus.

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Had a really good coaching staff. The former coach, Joe Dial,

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was my head coach. Coach Alec Musokuma was our assistant distance coach. He's the head coach now here at ORU.

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And,

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um, you know, I

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just didn't see it. I saw where

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the coaches,

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they were a world-class experience 'cause Coach Dial, he was the world record holder in pole vault.

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Coach

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Alec made the Zambian Olympic team for the 800 meters.

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However, they weren't getting the top athletes, the top recruits,

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and so, you know, a coach is only as good as the athletes that he coaches,

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right? And so when I came, I said, "Listen,

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I

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love the school, I love the atmosphere, I love the environment, but for what I want to

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achieve in track and field, I don't think that this is

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the place." Okay, Andretti, so this wasn't the place for you, yet here you are. So tell us what

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made

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you wanna stay?

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You know, Coach Dial, he told me, he said, "Son,

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if you believe in that you can be an NCAA champion, I'm telling you, you have a lot more work

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to

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do." And

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he said, "I challenge you rather than going someplace else and trying to make it happen

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there, take on the challenge

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here." And that's something that I still struggled

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with. And I remember going back to my parents,

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uh, during the first break and I

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said, "I don't wanna

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go back. That's not the school for me. I, I believe that I can become an NCAA champion. I

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believe that I can become an Olympic champion. That's not the school for me." And my parents were divided on

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that decision, and ultimately my dad,

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uh, ensured that I returned to ORU. Let me put it like that, right?

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He ensured that. Gu- guided independence,

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right? Yeah.

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He ensured that I- Yeah. Right ... yeah.

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He, he,

00:13:55.012 --> 00:13:58.072
he ensured that I- Right. And he said, "Listen, you could go anywhere else."

00:13:58.772 --> 00:14:00.052
He said, "However,

00:14:00.612 --> 00:14:02.192
here's the plane ticket for you to return

00:14:02.232 --> 00:14:07.172
to Tulsa. Here's all the financial aid that you need outside of track and field for you to return

00:14:07.212 --> 00:14:08.211
to Tulsa to ORU.

00:14:08.652 --> 00:14:12.032
Now, if you decide to go someplace else, then I guess you'll figure that out on

00:14:12.072 --> 00:14:16.072
your own." And so- Yeah. He said, he said, he said, "You're going back

00:14:16.112 --> 00:14:20.192
to ORU, but, but I'll let you decide what time do you wanna leave for the airport."

00:14:20.252 --> 00:14:21.332
Correct. Yeah.

00:14:21.352 --> 00:14:21.712
Correct.

00:14:22.412 --> 00:14:24.972
And so, and so I made the decision. I came

00:14:25.032 --> 00:14:28.212
back, and at that point I made up in my mind,

00:14:28.432 --> 00:14:34.192
I said, "I will not become a product of my environment. I will ensure that my environment produces

00:14:34.232 --> 00:14:40.032
the product that I believe that I can become." And so I just started again. I went to work.

00:14:40.652 --> 00:14:45.052
I started working. I started training extra hard. I started believing more, and more, and more.

00:14:46.232 --> 00:14:51.132
And when the opportunity came and I achieved the things that I did at ORU,

00:14:51.152 --> 00:14:52.192
and mind you, it was a long

00:14:52.272 --> 00:14:55.072
journey, 'cause going back through the four-year process of

00:14:55.132 --> 00:14:59.032
eligibility. Firstly, even when I returned to ORU,

00:14:59.232 --> 00:15:00.932
ORU because of

00:15:01.032 --> 00:15:02.352
some error

00:15:02.872 --> 00:15:03.072
with

00:15:03.132 --> 00:15:04.972
translating the,

00:15:05.092 --> 00:15:11.132
uh, the school enter- the entrance exams, or with translating the, the end of school

00:15:11.552 --> 00:15:13.042
term exams in The Bahamas,

00:15:14.032 --> 00:15:16.111
which we call our government national

00:15:16.152 --> 00:15:21.332
exams, and translating that to the American system at Oral Roberts,

00:15:22.332 --> 00:15:23.192
it was determined

00:15:23.232 --> 00:15:26.212
that due to some error that I was academically

00:15:26.232 --> 00:15:30.052
ineligible. And I had really good grades, so I couldn't understand how that would be

00:15:30.412 --> 00:15:30.492
the

00:15:30.532 --> 00:15:32.112
case. Anyway,

00:15:32.972 --> 00:15:35.822
what even made matters worse for me in wanting to leave ORU

00:15:36.012 --> 00:15:39.672
was that because of the academic ineligibility,

00:15:40.132 --> 00:15:44.152
I lost my scholarship for the first year, which meant that I had to pay my own school fee.

00:15:45.112 --> 00:15:49.032
And so now I'm like, "This wasn't in the cards," 'cause there's no way I was coming

00:15:49.072 --> 00:15:50.102
to a school that where I was

00:15:50.112 --> 00:15:54.012
gonna have to pay. But my parents made it work. I stayed

00:15:54.092 --> 00:16:01.992
that year. And so now my fourth year of eligibility would kick in a year after my first year

00:16:02.052 --> 00:16:09.112
at ORU, so it also gave me an opportunity to complete a master's degree, had I completed all of my

00:16:09.152 --> 00:16:10.012
schoolwork within the

00:16:10.052 --> 00:16:14.112
four years. And so I just started to look at the bright sta- side of it. I started

00:16:14.132 --> 00:16:14.212
to

00:16:14.252 --> 00:16:17.112
be a bit more optimistic about the opportunities that were

00:16:17.152 --> 00:16:20.042
ahead of me. And so I just made it a point. I said,

00:16:20.092 --> 00:16:22.972
"Here's my goal. By the time as my four-year

00:16:23.032 --> 00:16:26.252
scholarship ends, I need to have a master's degree,

00:16:27.532 --> 00:16:27.772
and

00:16:28.232 --> 00:16:28.292
I

00:16:28.352 --> 00:16:31.232
need to be on my way to professional athletics."

00:16:32.032 --> 00:16:32.262
And,

00:16:32.352 --> 00:16:35.172
um, the first year of eligibility,

00:16:35.572 --> 00:16:36.032
so the first

00:16:36.112 --> 00:16:37.012
year while

00:16:37.432 --> 00:16:38.372
being ineligible,

00:16:39.192 --> 00:16:41.892
I had to train on my own. I had to compete on my own, and that was

00:16:42.012 --> 00:16:45.492
very rough and trying times for me because you could imagine a 17-year-old

00:16:45.572 --> 00:16:47.092
kid now away

00:16:47.192 --> 00:16:47.772
from home,

00:16:49.092 --> 00:16:51.072
new environment, having to train

00:16:51.132 --> 00:16:55.332
on his own. There were times when I wanted to go to track meets

00:16:55.432 --> 00:16:58.232
and, you know, the nearest major track

00:16:58.292 --> 00:17:03.972
meets would be either at the University of Oklahoma or the University of Arkansas. And so I'm having to catch

00:17:04.031 --> 00:17:06.112
a Greyhound at 5:00 in the morning,

00:17:06.912 --> 00:17:10.012
two hours, three-hour Greyhound ride. And by the time as I get off

00:17:10.051 --> 00:17:12.071
the bus, it's literally

00:17:12.571 --> 00:17:15.051
just enough time for me to walk into the arena,

00:17:15.452 --> 00:17:19.291
warm up, go race, and then I have to hop back on that Greyhound so that I can return

00:17:19.332 --> 00:17:24.932
to school. Wow. And I, I did that. I did that because I was determined that I wanted to succeed.

00:17:25.031 --> 00:17:26.242
And in doing

00:17:26.291 --> 00:17:33.052
that, in 2004, I became the first junior athlete from The Bahamas to actually make a senior team.

00:17:33.192 --> 00:17:34.212
I made the World Indoor

00:17:34.632 --> 00:17:35.082
Championship

00:17:35.132 --> 00:17:40.592
team and competed at World Indoors, and we were set to get a medal. And then there was some issue

00:17:40.692 --> 00:17:43.152
where one of my teammates got tripped

00:17:43.212 --> 00:17:47.112
up by, by one of the Russian teammates, and so they got disqualified

00:17:47.152 --> 00:17:51.052
for that. However, you know, my teammate, he tripped up and he was unable

00:17:51.072 --> 00:17:52.052
to com- complete

00:17:52.072 --> 00:17:57.952
the race. But that was a major accomplishment for a junior athlete to be able to compete on a senior

00:17:58.012 --> 00:18:03.052
team. And not just that, a junior athlete who spent the entire year training on his own

00:18:03.272 --> 00:18:06.012
by himself, having to make the sacrifices that I had to

00:18:06.052 --> 00:18:08.182
make. And so once I saw

00:18:08.252 --> 00:18:13.132
that, I knew that once I get into a real structured environment with a little bit more support,

00:18:13.712 --> 00:18:15.492
that I could achieve

00:18:15.852 --> 00:18:17.232
whatever my dreams are.

00:18:17.852 --> 00:18:17.992
And

00:18:18.072 --> 00:18:24.236
so fast-forward now-Starting to compete now in the NCAA system.

00:18:25.156 --> 00:18:26.966
The- to your four years, freshman, sophomore,

00:18:27.016 --> 00:18:28.976
junior, senior. The first year as

00:18:29.036 --> 00:18:35.276
a freshman, went out, qualified for the NCAA championships, but didn't make the final

00:18:35.356 --> 00:18:37.016
cut. The next year,

00:18:37.436 --> 00:18:40.186
went out, qualified for the NCAA championships,

00:18:40.676 --> 00:18:43.156
competed, but, but knocked out in the first round.

00:18:43.756 --> 00:18:46.236
The third year, went out, qualified,

00:18:46.596 --> 00:18:47.076
competed,

00:18:47.616 --> 00:18:50.246
made it into the finals, became eighth in the finals.

00:18:50.956 --> 00:18:52.016
And for me, that was something

00:18:52.026 --> 00:18:58.096
to be celebrated e- even at OIU because you're eighth in NCAA division one, you're an All-American,

00:18:58.216 --> 00:18:59.096
right? Right. And

00:18:59.196 --> 00:19:05.076
so, you know, that's when I... That was a major accomplishment. However, for me, that wasn't enough. I knew

00:19:05.116 --> 00:19:10.326
that there was more in me. I knew that I could achieve more. And I remember that summer of 2007,

00:19:10.436 --> 00:19:13.196
I also graduated with my bachelor's degree that same year.

00:19:13.856 --> 00:19:17.996
And so now I have this extra year of eligibility, this extra year that OIU was

00:19:18.036 --> 00:19:20.036
going to pay for me to be in school to compete.

00:19:20.656 --> 00:19:21.946
And I said, "I'll just go ahead and I'll

00:19:22.016 --> 00:19:25.146
get my master's," but I knew I needed to complete my master's

00:19:25.216 --> 00:19:33.056
while this... while I have this final year because I for certain knew that I wanted to go professional

00:19:33.096 --> 00:19:33.176
in

00:19:33.196 --> 00:19:38.276
track and field, and I was not prepared to have to p- pay for any additional semesters in college.

00:19:38.756 --> 00:19:42.986
So I just really zoned in, and I focused on my schoolwork, I focused on track, and I said,

00:19:43.006 --> 00:19:44.276
"I need to complete this master's

00:19:44.316 --> 00:19:46.196
within this year." And so

00:19:47.436 --> 00:19:47.456
I

00:19:47.576 --> 00:19:50.436
went, and that summer gave, right before returning

00:19:50.476 --> 00:19:52.096
to, to Tulsa,

00:19:52.616 --> 00:19:57.255
I competed with the national team, went to the Pan American Games, got a gold medal in the Pa-

00:19:57.276 --> 00:19:59.016
Pan American Games.

00:19:59.136 --> 00:20:03.196
And I went to the world-famous Straw Market back in Nassau,

00:20:03.696 --> 00:20:06.096
and I got anything that had a Bahamian

00:20:06.136 --> 00:20:09.236
flag on it. Yeah. And when I returned to

00:20:09.336 --> 00:20:11.536
OIU, I got some armbands.

00:20:12.116 --> 00:20:12.316
And

00:20:12.376 --> 00:20:19.846
for me, this was going to be my inspiration, my motivation, my reminder of how important and how special this

00:20:19.976 --> 00:20:21.056
upcoming season would be.

00:20:21.706 --> 00:20:24.116
Right. And so on the armbands,

00:20:24.436 --> 00:20:24.576
one

00:20:24.636 --> 00:20:24.906
had the,

00:20:25.276 --> 00:20:27.136
had the Bahamian flag on it.

00:20:27.656 --> 00:20:32.956
The other had words written that said, "Something good is going to happen to

00:20:33.016 --> 00:20:36.186
you," and the other one said, "Expect a miracle."

00:20:37.016 --> 00:20:39.066
And so anytime I competed, I competed with

00:20:39.096 --> 00:20:42.976
these on. And I remember going throughout the season, and everything

00:20:43.036 --> 00:20:46.216
was going great. My training times were, were

00:20:46.256 --> 00:20:49.086
phenomenal. And I told the coach, I said,

00:20:49.106 --> 00:20:52.296
"You know what? Looking back at it now,

00:20:54.016 --> 00:20:57.116
we're in a position to do exactly what I said I wanted to do

00:20:58.196 --> 00:21:00.236
four, four and a half, five years ago."

00:21:00.816 --> 00:21:04.036
Right. Even the things that I said could not be achieved here at OIU.

00:21:04.596 --> 00:21:07.036
I said, "Even with losing my scholarship that first

00:21:07.076 --> 00:21:13.036
year, that gave me an opportunity to still have another year now to compete." I said, "And so

00:21:13.096 --> 00:21:14.056
I'm gonna make the best out

00:21:14.096 --> 00:21:16.156
of it." Right. And gave... I remember going

00:21:16.236 --> 00:21:19.296
out, and I mean,

00:21:20.096 --> 00:21:22.796
went from, like I said, not qualifying,

00:21:23.436 --> 00:21:29.076
to qualifying, to competing, to not making the finals, to making the finals, and coming eighth in the finals.

00:21:29.596 --> 00:21:31.436
And now I said, "I am going to be NCAA

00:21:31.496 --> 00:21:34.036
champion." And I told the coach that, yeah,

00:21:35.896 --> 00:21:40.636
I had ran at a meet like a month prior before the NCAA indoor championships,

00:21:41.516 --> 00:21:44.236
posted the fastest time in college that year,

00:21:44.936 --> 00:21:45.356
and

00:21:46.196 --> 00:21:48.036
got a hamstring injury that very

00:21:48.156 --> 00:21:51.116
same... actually quad injury that very same meet.

00:21:52.056 --> 00:21:55.996
And so now this is a bit devastating for any athlete. You're a month out from a major national

00:21:56.056 --> 00:21:57.116
meet, the biggest

00:21:57.196 --> 00:21:58.016
meet, and you

00:21:58.056 --> 00:22:04.076
got injured. Wow, so a month out from NCAA championships and you get injured. How did you handle

00:22:04.136 --> 00:22:07.076
that? I remember Coach Dal just told me, he

00:22:07.116 --> 00:22:13.096
said, "There's nothing else we can do besides get you healthy. So focus on your rehab, focus on your recovery."

00:22:13.956 --> 00:22:17.996
And we did that. We did that. And of course, I'm starting to doubt now because I'm thinking

00:22:18.276 --> 00:22:21.236
this is a lot of time away from the high intensity

00:22:21.316 --> 00:22:21.676
training.

00:22:22.536 --> 00:22:24.136
And I remembered

00:22:24.496 --> 00:22:25.296
the night before,

00:22:25.956 --> 00:22:27.156
coach says, "How does the leg

00:22:27.216 --> 00:22:32.036
feel?" I says, "I still can feel it, but I'm going out there tomorrow. I'm going to try my

00:22:32.076 --> 00:22:32.276
best

00:22:32.316 --> 00:22:35.316
to make it work. If I feel the injury, I'll stop,"

00:22:35.876 --> 00:22:40.096
because obviously this is an Olympic year again, 2008. I said- Right

00:22:40.106 --> 00:22:42.076
... "But I'll just give it my best."

00:22:42.615 --> 00:22:42.916
And gave...

00:22:43.026 --> 00:22:45.356
I went out there, and

00:22:45.496 --> 00:22:48.136
I said, praying before I always do a race,

00:22:48.216 --> 00:22:50.136
I said, "If I feel this injury,

00:22:50.996 --> 00:22:51.036
I

00:22:51.076 --> 00:22:51.676
will stop.

00:22:53.136 --> 00:22:54.956
However, I will try at

00:22:55.016 --> 00:22:56.956
least pushing out. I'll try my

00:22:57.036 --> 00:23:01.816
best at the start." And gave... I went, and I remembered the gun going off. The starting gun went off,

00:23:01.856 --> 00:23:04.036
and I started. And

00:23:04.416 --> 00:23:09.076
I said, "My first five steps, if I feel it, I'll stop." And one, two, three, four,

00:23:09.316 --> 00:23:09.996
five, I

00:23:10.056 --> 00:23:12.976
felt that injury. And something said, "Try again.

00:23:13.116 --> 00:23:18.616
Keep going." And as I took more steps, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 and on, I started to feel that

00:23:18.696 --> 00:23:20.216
injury less and less and less.

00:23:20.896 --> 00:23:27.246
And it worked out that I ended up winning the meet. And of course, this now is history for Roberts

00:23:27.316 --> 00:23:27.946
University-

00:23:28.366 --> 00:23:28.366
Right

00:23:28.366 --> 00:23:30.396
... because small school,

00:23:31.336 --> 00:23:33.076
never had an NCAA champion,

00:23:33.836 --> 00:23:37.116
and me being able to produce the first NCAA

00:23:37.176 --> 00:23:40.056
title, and it was like, wow.

00:23:40.656 --> 00:23:42.056
You know, coach and I look back at

00:23:42.076 --> 00:23:48.596
it, and he says, "Five years ago, you came here, and you said you wanted to leave because this is

00:23:48.636 --> 00:23:52.276
what you wanted to accomplish, and you did not think that it was going to happen here.

00:23:53.096 --> 00:23:53.216
And

00:23:53.296 --> 00:23:56.016
look at this. Look at- Right ... at the fact that we were able to

00:23:56.076 --> 00:24:03.016
create history." And- So- The lesson learned for me also in that was so often we're very close to

00:24:03.096 --> 00:24:04.976
our dreams, and we

00:24:05.016 --> 00:24:06.996
give up. We set those limits

00:24:07.056 --> 00:24:13.176
on us, whether it be physical limitations, whether it be mental or emotional limitations. And when I think about

00:24:13.236 --> 00:24:18.016
it, I had given myself that limit of five hard steps and stop.

00:24:18.896 --> 00:24:21.096
And through five steps, I did feel that

00:24:21.156 --> 00:24:27.016
injury, but had I not pushed beyond my, my limitations, had I not pushed beyond my comfort

00:24:27.076 --> 00:24:33.184
zone, I would have never experienced-The feeling or the success of that NCAA title

00:24:33.944 --> 00:24:36.064
had I not pushed for six, seven, eight, nine

00:24:36.084 --> 00:24:40.124
and ten steps. And so my message to kids or to persons just in general

00:24:40.784 --> 00:24:41.924
is, yes, there may be

00:24:42.004 --> 00:24:45.044
some quite realistic limitations that

00:24:45.084 --> 00:24:49.364
we're facing, but we have to find a way to push beyond those.

00:24:50.044 --> 00:24:51.864
And so that was the indoors.

00:24:52.124 --> 00:24:54.544
Now, Gabe, we go into outdoors.

00:24:55.904 --> 00:24:56.104
This

00:24:56.204 --> 00:24:58.124
is, is where I'm thinking, "Okay,

00:24:58.184 --> 00:25:01.104
you know what? I'm the NCAA indoor champion.

00:25:01.724 --> 00:25:05.084
It is my goal now to go there and be the NCAA outdoor champion."

00:25:05.844 --> 00:25:08.524
And of course, now I started to get a lot more recognition

00:25:08.584 --> 00:25:12.144
now. I remember getting a call from ESPN, the late Jenny

00:25:12.204 --> 00:25:14.104
Nichols, uh, their producer,

00:25:14.144 --> 00:25:15.924
and she says, "Hey, I saw your

00:25:16.064 --> 00:25:20.244
interview where you talked about your name and how you were named after Mario Andretti.

00:25:20.884 --> 00:25:21.184
And,

00:25:21.264 --> 00:25:24.204
um, Mario Andretti is a great friend of ours here

00:25:24.684 --> 00:25:28.984
on ESPN because we produce the IndyCar series, and I'd like to put you guys

00:25:29.024 --> 00:25:32.044
in contact." Long story short, Mario Andretti and

00:25:32.164 --> 00:25:37.224
I, uh, we got in contact, and that was a- another dream come true for me because my parents

00:25:37.324 --> 00:25:39.024
actually named me after Mario Andretti.

00:25:39.784 --> 00:25:43.004
Wow. That's- And so I was able to fly down to Indianapolis 500

00:25:43.584 --> 00:25:47.124
and spend some time with him, meet him face to face and all that. So that was exciting,

00:25:47.244 --> 00:25:47.464
right?

00:25:48.204 --> 00:25:51.104
And so for the outdoor season now, Gabe,

00:25:51.704 --> 00:25:54.124
I'm out there and I'm running with so much more confidence

00:25:54.204 --> 00:25:59.184
because I know what I was able to accomplish just a few months

00:25:59.244 --> 00:26:06.234
prior. And then I came up against someone who I just could not figure out how to beat. I'm talking

00:26:06.284 --> 00:26:09.244
about no matter how I strategize my races,

00:26:09.714 --> 00:26:13.174
this guy just kept beating me, and he was from one of the major schools,

00:26:13.704 --> 00:26:15.904
one of the top schools. So of course it was

00:26:16.004 --> 00:26:17.224
in, in,

00:26:18.004 --> 00:26:18.224
in

00:26:18.844 --> 00:26:22.144
the sport of track and field, it was in their best interest to keep promoting

00:26:22.154 --> 00:26:26.104
this guy. And, um, I remember a buddy of mine, the same,

00:26:26.924 --> 00:26:29.184
believe it or not, the same at- head coach

00:26:29.204 --> 00:26:34.964
from high school, he came over to Tulsa during my graduate year, and he got a graduate assistant

00:26:35.064 --> 00:26:35.324
job,

00:26:36.184 --> 00:26:42.024
and because it was so difficult for me trying to balance my master's degree in Business Administration along with

00:26:42.564 --> 00:26:43.344
this high-level

00:26:43.704 --> 00:26:45.104
training and, and competition

00:26:45.144 --> 00:26:45.624
schedule.

00:26:46.624 --> 00:26:51.044
And Gabe, no matter how much I tried and this guy kept beating me,

00:26:51.624 --> 00:26:52.124
uh, from

00:26:52.164 --> 00:26:54.064
Baylor, my buddy

00:26:54.164 --> 00:26:57.224
says, "You know what?" He says, "For the rest of the season,

00:26:57.584 --> 00:27:00.384
I'm not calling you Andretti. I'm calling you two-time NCAA

00:27:00.464 --> 00:27:04.034
champion." And so when I started to have that internal doubt,

00:27:04.584 --> 00:27:10.224
I had someone right there speaking life and positivity into me, and he started to say, "You're a NCAA champion.

00:27:10.264 --> 00:27:11.404
You're a NCAA champion."

00:27:12.044 --> 00:27:14.524
And I remembered we went to NCS now outdoors,

00:27:15.164 --> 00:27:20.624
and I had just taken two consecutive losses to, to this kid out from Baylor, Ligejel Venice.

00:27:21.864 --> 00:27:24.044
And went through the first round and I felt

00:27:24.144 --> 00:27:29.104
great. Went through the semifinals, I felt, I felt pretty good. However,

00:27:29.564 --> 00:27:30.024
Ligejel,

00:27:30.384 --> 00:27:31.984
Ligejel and I had to race each other in

00:27:32.024 --> 00:27:36.324
the semis, and this is less than 24 hours from the final.

00:27:37.124 --> 00:27:37.513
Mm.

00:27:37.513 --> 00:27:39.044
And he beat me,

00:27:40.404 --> 00:27:41.064
and he beat

00:27:41.104 --> 00:27:47.384
me with me running a personal record. And so that was a bit discouraging because I felt like he just

00:27:47.424 --> 00:27:52.104
beat me at my best. How do I come back and beat him in less than

00:27:52.284 --> 00:27:56.034
24 hours? And I remembered my head coach at the time, Coach Dal, came

00:27:56.064 --> 00:27:59.324
and he says, "You know what? I watched the races."

00:27:59.964 --> 00:28:01.934
He says, "I think you're being a bit too conservative

00:28:02.104 --> 00:28:04.064
at the first, at the start

00:28:04.084 --> 00:28:08.064
of the race." He says, "I need you to go and run that first part of the race

00:28:08.884 --> 00:28:11.584
as if you're running an actual 200-meter

00:28:11.644 --> 00:28:14.004
race." Now, for anybody in track and

00:28:14.064 --> 00:28:18.204
field, Gabe, especially 400 meters, it is all about energy distribution.

00:28:18.824 --> 00:28:20.084
So the strategy that my coach

00:28:20.144 --> 00:28:25.084
was giving me, no one would probably follow that strategy. However, we felt like

00:28:25.784 --> 00:28:27.984
if we wanted to win that NCAA outdoor

00:28:28.044 --> 00:28:29.944
title, we had to leave it

00:28:30.004 --> 00:28:32.044
all on the line. Right. And so I told my

00:28:32.104 --> 00:28:32.884
buddy, uh,

00:28:33.004 --> 00:28:36.994
I told my buddy who kept, the one, Burnell, who kept speaking life into

00:28:37.004 --> 00:28:41.174
me, I told him what the s- strategy was, and he says, "Okay, if that's what it takes then, that's

00:28:41.244 --> 00:28:45.894
what you have to do, but you are going to be the NCAA champion again tomorrow." And I told some

00:28:45.924 --> 00:28:48.873
of my other friends the strategy, and they were like, "Uh, no. Like,

00:28:49.124 --> 00:28:49.344
Andretti,

00:28:50.084 --> 00:28:53.224
you may go there gambling it all trying to win,

00:28:53.604 --> 00:28:53.944
and you may

00:28:54.004 --> 00:28:56.184
end up n- not probably even

00:28:56.224 --> 00:28:59.024
finishing. Like, that's suicidal. Try not to do that."

00:28:59.664 --> 00:29:03.004
And Gabe, I just felt strongly within myself that I was prepared to put it all

00:29:03.064 --> 00:29:03.864
on the line because

00:29:04.004 --> 00:29:07.304
I believed that I could have been two-time NCAA

00:29:07.344 --> 00:29:11.104
champion. And I remembered when that gun went off and we started running,

00:29:12.024 --> 00:29:16.344
I started, I started, I started, and then there was this tendency to get into a relaxed phase.

00:29:16.984 --> 00:29:19.964
And as I'm starting to relax, I remembered I s- it said,

00:29:20.064 --> 00:29:22.024
something said to me, "You know what?

00:29:22.864 --> 00:29:28.124
If I do my part and I go all out this first part of the race, I'm trusting

00:29:28.164 --> 00:29:28.274
on

00:29:28.284 --> 00:29:32.044
you to finish." And I just picked up, Gabe, and I just started running and running and

00:29:32.104 --> 00:29:32.954
running. And

00:29:33.024 --> 00:29:35.164
next thing you know, I came

00:29:35.644 --> 00:29:37.204
off of, onto the home straightaway

00:29:37.264 --> 00:29:39.063
in front, and I remember my coach

00:29:39.104 --> 00:29:43.024
telling me, "If you come off in front, you are strong enough to hold

00:29:43.124 --> 00:29:46.004
on." Here's how he said you are strong enough to hold

00:29:46.084 --> 00:29:49.004
on. A few weeks

00:29:49.044 --> 00:29:51.084
prior, we started to pull

00:29:51.264 --> 00:29:53.984
sleds and pull sleds for 150

00:29:54.024 --> 00:29:57.824
meters, much longer than most athletes would pull sleds. Most would pull

00:29:58.024 --> 00:30:03.584
30 to 50 meters. And he says, "I'm having you do this because the race is going to be so

00:30:03.624 --> 00:30:09.284
tight at the end that you need to be confident within yourself that you're strong enough to finish." And Gabe,

00:30:09.304 --> 00:30:12.964
when I came onto that home straightaway and I started running, of course fatigue

00:30:13.004 --> 00:30:18.063
starting to settle in, I just started to think about all the work that I did in preparation for

00:30:18.124 --> 00:30:21.904
that. And of course I'm starting to hear this guy come up on the side of me,

00:30:22.004 --> 00:30:28.404
come up on the side of me, and I could hear the announcers calling others' names rather than my name.

00:30:28.504 --> 00:30:33.204
And getting there to the finish line, and at this point it feels like the finish line is taking forever

00:30:33.244 --> 00:30:33.324
to

00:30:33.364 --> 00:30:40.508
come. Yeah. And I just remembered coming to that line, and I just, yep, so I leaned for the tape-And

00:30:41.208 --> 00:30:41.988
when I looked, I

00:30:42.048 --> 00:30:44.088
said, "Okay, I'm not sure if I won."

00:30:45.068 --> 00:30:48.328
And it took a minute for the automatic results

00:30:48.348 --> 00:30:53.108
to show up, and when it showed up, it showed up that I did win. And I won

00:30:53.148 --> 00:30:57.048
because when I leaned for the tape, I leaned with my head down,

00:30:57.748 --> 00:30:59.988
and the guy on the outside of me, he leaned

00:31:00.128 --> 00:31:01.798
looking at me. And so th- Right,

00:31:02.008 --> 00:31:06.018
so that, that, that was, that was Lionel, right, at USC. So he almost caught you. I mean, if

00:31:06.028 --> 00:31:06.988
you go back and watch it, which

00:31:07.048 --> 00:31:10.088
I did, y- you almost get caught there at the end.

00:31:10.168 --> 00:31:10.878
Yes. Um, but

00:31:11.008 --> 00:31:14.208
you, y- you mentioned something to me which was really cool, and, and it was a lesson

00:31:14.248 --> 00:31:17.878
that you took away from that, so I'd love for you to share that, about the ending there and, and

00:31:17.948 --> 00:31:24.228
kind of how you use that now in your life. Yes. So for me, you know, in life there are

00:31:24.268 --> 00:31:28.168
so many distractions, so many things are going on all around us, be it positive,

00:31:28.208 --> 00:31:30.248
be it negative. And

00:31:30.308 --> 00:31:35.968
for me, the lesson learned from that race was no matter what's happening around us, we always need to stay

00:31:36.028 --> 00:31:38.128
focused on our, upon our lane.

00:31:39.748 --> 00:31:40.308
And so

00:31:40.648 --> 00:31:45.328
when I dipped for the line, I dipped with my head down focusing on my lane and my number.

00:31:45.768 --> 00:31:47.988
When the guy next to me dipped, he dipped looking at

00:31:48.048 --> 00:31:53.028
me, and the difference between me winning or losing may have been in that very same

00:31:53.368 --> 00:31:54.958
lane. Had I leaned looking

00:31:55.028 --> 00:31:58.168
at him, I may have been an inch shorter

00:31:58.468 --> 00:31:58.608
or

00:31:58.748 --> 00:32:01.218
a inch o- further away from that line,

00:32:01.328 --> 00:32:05.088
which ultimately may have resulted in him winning. And so

00:32:05.888 --> 00:32:10.108
my advice to anyone is, no matter what's happening, you just have to stay focused on

00:32:10.128 --> 00:32:14.148
your lane. And so at the end of that whole process

00:32:14.228 --> 00:32:18.068
now, I'm like, wow, like, I achieved the dreams and the goals

00:32:18.108 --> 00:32:22.108
that I set out in terms of wanting to be an NCAA champion. I did,

00:32:22.608 --> 00:32:22.648
you

00:32:22.708 --> 00:32:27.228
know, making history, doing the impossible at Oral Roberts University. And I remember

00:32:27.238 --> 00:32:31.028
the coaches from South Califor- from South Carolina and

00:32:31.068 --> 00:32:35.028
Nebraska, you know, after I would have seen them, they would have said, "You

00:32:35.048 --> 00:32:40.258
know what? I remember you being that young kid coming out of high school begging for the opportunity

00:32:40.328 --> 00:32:41.328
to come to our schools,

00:32:41.948 --> 00:32:44.048
and you are one of the greatest mistakes that

00:32:44.088 --> 00:32:48.228
we would have made." Okay. Like, "We should have believed in you. We should have..." You know. But I'm sure

00:32:48.247 --> 00:32:49.948
they get kids probably coming all the time

00:32:50.027 --> 00:32:54.148
saying stuff like that. Right. So one of the things that I've learned though, Gabe, is I tell people

00:32:54.208 --> 00:32:58.068
all the time, it's not up to anybody to believe in you.

00:32:58.448 --> 00:32:59.988
You have to believe in yourself. And once

00:33:00.028 --> 00:33:03.308
you believe in yourself, then it's up to you to show people

00:33:04.168 --> 00:33:09.088
why they should have believed in you. And so I wasn't upset at those coaches, I just realized that in

00:33:09.128 --> 00:33:11.048
life I had to make it happen. I had

00:33:11.108 --> 00:33:13.268
to show people what I believed.

00:33:13.808 --> 00:33:16.208
And thankfully, I had a team around me who

00:33:16.888 --> 00:33:21.018
encouraged me, my coaches, my friends, and, you know, who bought into the dreams and

00:33:21.028 --> 00:33:27.028
the goals that I had, and they supported me whole-heartedly with that. And so throughout that process,

00:33:27.708 --> 00:33:29.528
I was able to go on to the Olympics,

00:33:29.968 --> 00:33:29.988
um-

00:33:30.008 --> 00:33:34.008
Well, Andretti, I'm g- I- just for one second there, because you hit on a really great thing there that

00:33:34.068 --> 00:33:36.988
I'd love to talk about, and this is really, it's something that you told me in

00:33:37.048 --> 00:33:43.048
person, and it was actually two things that got me really interested. Number one, you said, when I...

00:33:43.088 --> 00:33:44.097
And you said on this podcast,

00:33:44.168 --> 00:33:49.008
you said when you first got to ORU, you thought, "I can't win here." Like, "There's no way I'm

00:33:49.048 --> 00:33:54.518
going to do this here." You saw the facilities, you said, "No chance." But then you later said, upon reflection

00:33:54.548 --> 00:33:55.028
of your whole

00:33:55.088 --> 00:34:03.138
career, there's nowhere else that you could have gone and had the success that you had. And I thought,

00:34:03.188 --> 00:34:07.808
wow, like, I was really fascinated by the dichotomy of those two statements. You have a kid from the Bahamas

00:34:07.848 --> 00:34:11.027
now in Oklahoma excited to begin his career thinking, "How the heck am I gonna do this?"

00:34:11.398 --> 00:34:15.007
And then all of a sudden, four years later, you're saying, "Yeah, you know what? If I went somewhere else,

00:34:15.768 --> 00:34:17.027
this probably would have never happened."

00:34:18.868 --> 00:34:19.128
Yes.

00:34:19.447 --> 00:34:20.228
I, I, I agree.

00:34:20.888 --> 00:34:21.188
You know?

00:34:21.688 --> 00:34:22.068
And

00:34:22.688 --> 00:34:26.148
I believe that it was destined for me to be at ORU.

00:34:26.788 --> 00:34:31.148
And through all the ups and through all the downs, and no matter how much I, even in the onset,

00:34:31.228 --> 00:34:33.408
initially fought to leave ORU,

00:34:34.148 --> 00:34:36.088
I am very thankful that I didn't,

00:34:36.788 --> 00:34:37.007
um,

00:34:37.788 --> 00:34:38.308
because

00:34:39.228 --> 00:34:39.288
I,

00:34:39.928 --> 00:34:43.108
I honestly can't say that I would have been

00:34:43.148 --> 00:34:45.208
as successful had I gone anywhere

00:34:45.248 --> 00:34:50.088
else. And even if I did become as successful, even if I did achieve the things

00:34:50.128 --> 00:34:56.027
that I did, the level of appreciation that not only I have for ORU but that also ORU has

00:34:56.067 --> 00:34:58.028
for me, I think it would not

00:34:58.067 --> 00:35:04.328
have... It, it far exceeds any other school, because when you have NCAA champions coming out multiple

00:35:04.928 --> 00:35:05.508
years

00:35:06.028 --> 00:35:06.308
back

00:35:06.348 --> 00:35:09.968
to back, you know, it, it, it becomes the thing, it becomes the

00:35:10.048 --> 00:35:10.948
norm. And

00:35:11.028 --> 00:35:13.048
I think I was able to bring- It's an expectation. Yes, the

00:35:13.068 --> 00:35:14.908
expectation. But I think I was able

00:35:15.008 --> 00:35:20.878
to, to be an inspiration to all of Roberts University and to the student athletes there in terms of letting

00:35:20.928 --> 00:35:21.048
them

00:35:21.128 --> 00:35:27.108
see, like, "Hey, you can do it here. All it takes is you truly believing in you,

00:35:27.548 --> 00:35:28.028
and once you

00:35:28.068 --> 00:35:34.968
believe in you, then you are... facilitate you going after your dreams." Yeah. And even

00:35:35.008 --> 00:35:39.018
in my, in my role now here at ORU as consultant and, and

00:35:39.148 --> 00:35:42.248
assistant coach, like, that is my message to the student athletes,

00:35:43.088 --> 00:35:43.968
"Let's make it happen.

00:35:44.048 --> 00:35:49.748
Why not here?" Yeah, I love what you said about not becoming a product of your environment. I thought that

00:35:49.788 --> 00:35:54.528
was a really good point that you brought up. And obviously, 2008 was a huge year for you. I mean,

00:35:54.648 --> 00:35:55.988
like you said, indoor

00:35:56.068 --> 00:35:58.008
champion, outdoor champion,

00:35:58.688 --> 00:35:59.988
and then if you fast-forward a few

00:36:00.048 --> 00:36:03.028
months, qualifying for the Olympics and winning a

00:36:03.048 --> 00:36:05.948
silver medal, um, which I believe you have with you in the

00:36:06.008 --> 00:36:06.968
office there right now.

00:36:08.088 --> 00:36:08.988
Yes. You wanna

00:36:09.048 --> 00:36:09.788
show it out there?

00:36:10.318 --> 00:36:11.128
Yeah, I do. So,

00:36:11.368 --> 00:36:12.368
you know, the men's,

00:36:12.728 --> 00:36:12.808
uh,

00:36:13.448 --> 00:36:18.008
4 by 400 relay. Yes. Uh, the Team Bahamas earning the silver medal in Beijing.

00:36:18.648 --> 00:36:23.048
Can you describe the feeling of the opening ceremonies and being there?

00:36:23.058 --> 00:36:23.138
Oh, man.

00:36:24.148 --> 00:36:24.408
Gabe,

00:36:25.208 --> 00:36:28.268
that was the most exciting atmosphere ever.

00:36:28.768 --> 00:36:30.168
Had an opportunity to

00:36:30.888 --> 00:36:39.218
meet Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade. I'm talking about all the stars for all the other sports.

00:36:39.888 --> 00:36:46.988
And everyone's there just enjoying the moment and being fascinated by, uh, or with each other, because basically the

00:36:47.028 --> 00:36:48.908
Olympics, that's the world's best,

00:36:49.108 --> 00:36:49.288
right?

00:36:50.308 --> 00:36:52.668
And so the opening ceremonies,

00:36:53.168 --> 00:36:57.324
I just remember sitting there and I was like, "Wow."Wow.

00:36:57.884 --> 00:37:02.104
Like, when persons ask, "How was that feeling at the Olympics?"

00:37:02.624 --> 00:37:04.184
As cliche as it sounds,

00:37:04.684 --> 00:37:05.304
my answer

00:37:05.444 --> 00:37:07.024
is, it

00:37:07.524 --> 00:37:08.084
was a dream

00:37:08.144 --> 00:37:10.004
come true. Wow. And

00:37:10.084 --> 00:37:13.484
so, and so it, it, it was a wonderful experience.

00:37:14.144 --> 00:37:20.164
I wish every athlete would have an opportunity to experience something like that, 'cause it truly epitomizes

00:37:21.984 --> 00:37:24.164
what it means to be amongst the world's best.

00:37:24.984 --> 00:37:30.064
And, and take us to that, that race where you won silver, and I, I believe you started

00:37:30.124 --> 00:37:35.924
off the first leg. And I, I'm curious about what's going through your head the moments before the race. Like,

00:37:36.004 --> 00:37:37.224
what, what are you telling

00:37:37.244 --> 00:37:42.004
yourself moments before? I think the camera pans to you maybe throw a couple punches, like, "Okay, I'm ready

00:37:42.024 --> 00:37:42.064
to

00:37:42.144 --> 00:37:42.884
rock." But

00:37:43.524 --> 00:37:49.104
but what, what's going through your head as you're, as you're getting ready to prepare for this race?

00:37:50.924 --> 00:37:54.104
So of course there's the nerves and the excitement of being there in the moment.

00:37:54.944 --> 00:37:55.404
And

00:37:56.044 --> 00:38:00.404
you know that the Olympics is every four years, so you definitely don't wanna ruin this moment.

00:38:00.944 --> 00:38:05.983
You know that you are representing an entire nation, an entire country. You have the flag on your

00:38:06.044 --> 00:38:06.444
chest.

00:38:07.034 --> 00:38:12.104
And so you think about making the country proud, but also not wanting to disappoint.

00:38:12.564 --> 00:38:15.104
And then you look around, and in that stadium at the time

00:38:15.164 --> 00:38:17.034
it was 110, I think, thousand

00:38:17.364 --> 00:38:18.144
persons.

00:38:19.744 --> 00:38:24.094
And now you think about the millions of persons watching

00:38:24.704 --> 00:38:25.984
on television around the

00:38:26.024 --> 00:38:30.024
world, and it's like, wow, like, all eyes truly feels as if it's

00:38:30.104 --> 00:38:33.064
on you. And so there's that nerves.

00:38:33.504 --> 00:38:34.184
However,

00:38:34.644 --> 00:38:37.284
thankfully going through the NCAA collegiate system

00:38:37.344 --> 00:38:42.004
that year, I was able to build up the resilience and the fortitude and the strength to be able to

00:38:42.084 --> 00:38:43.964
handle competing in these high-pressure

00:38:44.004 --> 00:38:46.724
situations. And so

00:38:47.524 --> 00:38:47.964
I felt

00:38:48.124 --> 00:38:48.824
prepared

00:38:49.284 --> 00:38:51.124
enough, but there was still

00:38:51.184 --> 00:38:51.464
that,

00:38:52.064 --> 00:38:55.084
that feeling of, "I cannot mess this up.

00:38:55.824 --> 00:38:57.954
This is a once in a lifetime

00:38:58.064 --> 00:39:04.284
opportunity, and I need to seize the moment." And so I started to really just focus on all, focus, focusing

00:39:04.364 --> 00:39:05.174
on all the positive

00:39:05.283 --> 00:39:12.524
aspects of it, the things that would lead to success, as compared to anything that would probably take me out

00:39:12.564 --> 00:39:17.044
of my game or discourage me from actually feeling confident enough to go out there

00:39:17.064 --> 00:39:23.104
and give it my all. Quick question for you. Uh, as someone who was participating, as an athlete that was

00:39:23.164 --> 00:39:28.344
participating there, and I, I don't recall what the schedule was exactly, but were you able to go watch other

00:39:28.384 --> 00:39:34.244
sports compete at all? I was able to go and watch other sports. I watched some swimming, I watched some

00:39:34.304 --> 00:39:45.504
basketball. Um, but usually you have to try to find that line between being a fan and being a competitor,

00:39:46.104 --> 00:39:48.374
especially being a competitor who has

00:39:48.744 --> 00:39:49.024
medal

00:39:49.044 --> 00:39:54.024
aspirations. Right. So because of that, you don't wanna socialize too much because you still need to ensure

00:39:54.084 --> 00:39:56.024
that you stay in focus, you're getting your rest

00:39:56.064 --> 00:39:56.484
and all that.

00:39:57.024 --> 00:40:01.224
So on a few occasions, I did have an opportunity to watch a few events,

00:40:01.864 --> 00:40:09.034
but the way that track and field is set up is you close out the Olympics, so being

00:40:09.084 --> 00:40:10.234
the last to compete,

00:40:11.004 --> 00:40:15.044
you really have to try to conserve as much energy as possible. And so,

00:40:15.544 --> 00:40:17.944
and so I didn't get to do as much as I wanted to

00:40:18.004 --> 00:40:23.044
do, and it was all for, a part of the sacrifice of just remaining focused for, for my

00:40:23.104 --> 00:40:24.004
event and trying to win

00:40:24.024 --> 00:40:29.934
a medal. Take us through that, that feeling of being on the podium and having someone reach up and, and

00:40:30.044 --> 00:40:33.274
kind of bowing down a little bit and having someone put that medal on. What is that feeling

00:40:33.804 --> 00:40:37.994
like? Hey, Gabe, listen. I'll never forget. It's just like this. So they come to you, they shake your

00:40:38.024 --> 00:40:41.104
hand. You're standing there, you're excited,

00:40:41.844 --> 00:40:43.124
and then the hand,

00:40:43.664 --> 00:40:44.104
they...

00:40:45.064 --> 00:40:45.984
You lean over just

00:40:46.034 --> 00:40:48.004
like that. They rest that

00:40:48.064 --> 00:40:50.144
on. And what everybody does, right?

00:40:50.284 --> 00:40:50.884
You go and you,

00:40:52.144 --> 00:40:56.424
you, you have to kiss it or you have to bite it. You have to make sure it's real, right?

00:40:59.024 --> 00:40:59.174
And

00:40:59.224 --> 00:40:59.444
so,

00:41:00.044 --> 00:41:01.144
you know, it,

00:41:01.154 --> 00:41:06.234
it, it, it was a, it was a great feeling, man. And you're just looking around and everyone from every

00:41:06.344 --> 00:41:12.024
country just applauding you because they know the work that it takes to be able to achieve that

00:41:12.124 --> 00:41:12.964
level of success

00:41:13.004 --> 00:41:18.043
and to win an Olympic, uh, gold medal. And so, uh, to win an Olympic medal,

00:41:18.764 --> 00:41:20.094
and so definitely,

00:41:20.164 --> 00:41:24.993
man, it's... I still have that, I still can remember that feeling like it was yesterday,

00:41:25.104 --> 00:41:30.014
Gabe. That's awesome. And I know earlier you mentioned that you were born to run,

00:41:30.084 --> 00:41:36.664
like, "This is what I do." And, and metaphorically speaking, you continue to run your race. And you've stayed in

00:41:36.724 --> 00:41:39.084
track and field, you've stayed in performance, and after

00:41:39.104 --> 00:41:44.244
your competitive career, you transitioned into coaching. As you mentioned, you're there at Oral Roberts now assisting with coaching.

00:41:44.264 --> 00:41:44.984
You're doing some work in the

00:41:45.004 --> 00:41:51.024
Bahamas coaching. So was there a specific moment or experience that sparked this interest for you? It sounds like

00:41:51.064 --> 00:41:54.574
you had a lot of great mentors along the way. Is this something that you always thought you might do,

00:41:54.684 --> 00:41:57.004
or was there something specific where you said, "Okay,

00:41:57.184 --> 00:41:57.804
it's time for me to n-

00:41:58.124 --> 00:42:01.964
go coach"? Well, I'll tell you, I always thought that I'd run track and field for the

00:42:02.004 --> 00:42:04.224
rest of my life. Right. At a high level,

00:42:05.004 --> 00:42:10.304
right? Because that's the only thing I saw myself wanting to do. And in 2007, I tore my Achilles,

00:42:10.344 --> 00:42:13.084
and it's been an uphill battle trying to get back from that.

00:42:13.824 --> 00:42:15.064
I do intend to get back

00:42:15.344 --> 00:42:17.224
competing, um,

00:42:17.744 --> 00:42:21.184
internationally, whether it be at the Olympic level or at the Masters

00:42:21.244 --> 00:42:23.044
level. I'm turning 39

00:42:23.084 --> 00:42:23.484
this year.

00:42:24.244 --> 00:42:29.524
And so, but I enjoy, I, I, I enjoy track and field. I enjoy the feeling, I enjoy that expression

00:42:29.584 --> 00:42:30.964
of running.

00:42:31.024 --> 00:42:33.084
And so for me,

00:42:33.964 --> 00:42:35.064
I realized more and

00:42:35.124 --> 00:42:37.124
more that I had so much,

00:42:38.644 --> 00:42:42.004
I had so much, I had such a wealth of, or I have such a wealth of knowledge

00:42:42.024 --> 00:42:45.044
and experience to be able to pass on to future

00:42:45.084 --> 00:42:45.844
generations,

00:42:46.584 --> 00:42:51.144
um, learning from the mistakes that I would have made and learning from the things that I would have done

00:42:51.184 --> 00:42:57.124
correctly. And then, like you said, just having so many great and positive role models and mentors

00:42:57.164 --> 00:43:02.936
in my life, and realizing the impact that it had had on me or that it has on me-You know,

00:43:03.056 --> 00:43:04.936
I, I, I wanna be in a position to where I can do

00:43:05.016 --> 00:43:05.896
th- do the same.

00:43:06.416 --> 00:43:11.136
And so I had just found myself. I, I can't tell you there was a path

00:43:11.736 --> 00:43:11.936
to

00:43:12.276 --> 00:43:14.156
wanting to be a coach, 'cause that wasn't-

00:43:14.216 --> 00:43:19.996
Right ... the plan. But eventually, I think it just may have started with someone coming, an athlete coming up

00:43:20.016 --> 00:43:21.256
and asking for advice.

00:43:21.356 --> 00:43:26.046
And before you know it, I can't turn them down, and, uh, putting more and more time and

00:43:26.116 --> 00:43:31.136
effort into that. And then more and more persons coming, and then more and more opportunities

00:43:31.216 --> 00:43:36.176
coming about. And then I realized that I really can impact the world in a positive way, not

00:43:36.236 --> 00:43:36.826
just through,

00:43:37.276 --> 00:43:40.476
through me competing and my athletic abilities,

00:43:40.956 --> 00:43:42.316
but then also through my ability

00:43:42.336 --> 00:43:45.316
to coach. And not just coach from a physical standbo-

00:43:45.576 --> 00:43:50.056
point, but to be able to coach from a mental and emotional standpoint, which I think is extremely

00:43:50.096 --> 00:43:57.006
important. Being able to encourage kids to dream big, work hard, have faith, believe in themselves, believe in their

00:43:57.136 --> 00:44:00.096
dreams, and being able to follow their goals and

00:44:00.136 --> 00:44:03.096
their dreams so that they could be able to fulfill the purpose,

00:44:03.396 --> 00:44:04.296
uh, and the passion

00:44:04.656 --> 00:44:04.876
that,

00:44:05.376 --> 00:44:05.556
that,

00:44:06.276 --> 00:44:07.276
that's for their lives,

00:44:07.436 --> 00:44:08.876
you know? And so

00:44:09.136 --> 00:44:13.816
I am happy, I am blessed to be in the position that I am, that I, I, that I am

00:44:13.896 --> 00:44:20.146
in. I am happy, and I am blessed to be in the position that I'm in with Paul Roberts University,

00:44:20.536 --> 00:44:23.256
with Champion Spirit Country Club back in The Bahamas.

00:44:24.036 --> 00:44:27.096
And it is my goal to produce future Olympians.

00:44:29.316 --> 00:44:35.196
Absolutely, and I, I appreciate you mentioning that and, and talking about your approach and, and the things

00:44:35.236 --> 00:44:40.946
that have carried you to this point and how you're able to help instill that into, uh, the younger generations.

00:44:41.016 --> 00:44:42.096
And I go back to

00:44:42.136 --> 00:44:45.036
something you said, where your friend before the race

00:44:45.076 --> 00:44:51.896
for outdoors told you, "You're a two-time NCAA champion. You're a two-time NCAA champion," and speaking this into existence. So

00:44:52.036 --> 00:44:53.356
you find yourself oftentimes

00:44:53.516 --> 00:44:59.036
helping younger youth athletes that have their aspirations to speak their goals into

00:44:59.076 --> 00:45:01.156
existence? Yes.

00:45:01.216 --> 00:45:05.976
Yes, yes. No, definitely. Um, you know, my, my life's motto is dream big,

00:45:06.016 --> 00:45:11.856
work hard, have faith. Everything starts with a dream. I think it's through following our dreams and our goals that

00:45:12.016 --> 00:45:14.996
we actually discover the purpose, uh, for

00:45:15.056 --> 00:45:18.156
our lives. But then outside of that dream,

00:45:19.256 --> 00:45:20.096
or outside of those

00:45:20.136 --> 00:45:21.996
goals, now we have to work towards

00:45:22.016 --> 00:45:22.336
that.

00:45:23.056 --> 00:45:25.296
And oftentimes,

00:45:25.356 --> 00:45:31.276
that's where a lot of persons go wrong. They're not prepared to put in the work. They're not prepared

00:45:31.316 --> 00:45:32.456
to go above and beyond

00:45:32.836 --> 00:45:36.095
to ensure that they are achieving those dreams and those goals.

00:45:36.496 --> 00:45:37.016
And then at

00:45:37.056 --> 00:45:42.276
the end of it, you have to have belief that it can actually happen. Like, if you don't believe in

00:45:42.316 --> 00:45:44.016
yourself, if you don't believe that things

00:45:44.056 --> 00:45:44.676
can be done,

00:45:45.256 --> 00:45:47.056
then you're honestly just wasting

00:45:47.096 --> 00:45:47.695
your time.

00:45:48.256 --> 00:45:54.036
And so for me, it's just about following... Well, fo- the, the motto is the blueprint.

00:45:54.816 --> 00:45:57.036
Just dream, dreaming big, working hard, and having

00:45:57.056 --> 00:46:00.116
faith. So just to recap

00:46:00.136 --> 00:46:04.966
there, dream big, work hard, have faith. That's awesome. Thank you for sharing that. So a question for

00:46:05.056 --> 00:46:07.056
you as you kind of reflect on all this.

00:46:07.996 --> 00:46:12.956
Uh, what legacy do you hope to leave behind, both as an athlete, as a mentor, coach, and

00:46:13.036 --> 00:46:19.156
person? That's the first time I think I've been a- asked that question,

00:46:19.416 --> 00:46:21.076
uh, uh, in that way.

00:46:22.236 --> 00:46:22.556
And

00:46:23.736 --> 00:46:24.356
for me,

00:46:25.696 --> 00:46:30.236
I think I just want people, when they hear the name Andretti Bain, I think they... I, I want people

00:46:30.296 --> 00:46:30.396
to,

00:46:30.716 --> 00:46:30.826
uh,

00:46:31.756 --> 00:46:32.076
to

00:46:32.956 --> 00:46:34.296
think of one who

00:46:35.636 --> 00:46:36.996
believed wholeheartedly

00:46:37.036 --> 00:46:41.016
in himself, believed wholeheartedly in his dreams and his goals,

00:46:41.436 --> 00:46:42.316
but also

00:46:43.836 --> 00:46:48.276
worked towards those dreams and those goals in order to be an inspiration to others.

00:46:49.056 --> 00:46:53.046
One of the greatest joys that I receive from track and field is not

00:46:53.496 --> 00:46:55.096
the medals, which is great,

00:46:55.856 --> 00:46:59.096
but one of the greatest joys is

00:46:59.136 --> 00:47:02.036
being able to hear somebody tell me,

00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:03.076
"Hey,

00:47:03.176 --> 00:47:08.076
because of you, I'm actually going after my dreams and my goals. I've achieved my dreams and my

00:47:08.176 --> 00:47:14.056
goals." Being able to see smiles come on persons' faces, being able to see my family, my friends, my

00:47:14.136 --> 00:47:18.056
loved ones get a sense of joy and pride

00:47:18.756 --> 00:47:22.336
when they see me competing or when they see me being successful.

00:47:23.216 --> 00:47:27.156
And then just being able to, to encourage

00:47:27.236 --> 00:47:31.056
others just to going after

00:47:31.096 --> 00:47:33.096
their dreams, fulfilling their

00:47:33.136 --> 00:47:41.976
purpose in life. So for me, the legacy is just one who wholeheartedly believed in following their dreams, following

00:47:42.046 --> 00:47:42.996
their goals in order to

00:47:43.036 --> 00:47:43.936
fulfill the purpose

00:47:44.516 --> 00:47:47.016
in life. I believe that we all

00:47:47.056 --> 00:47:49.036
have a purpose. And for

00:47:49.096 --> 00:47:53.096
me, I fe- feel as if track and field has led me to discovering that purpose that

00:47:53.156 --> 00:48:00.156
God has for me. And so, so my legacy is just being able to inspire the world to doing the

00:48:00.196 --> 00:48:02.096
same. Dream big, working hard, having

00:48:02.116 --> 00:48:06.256
faith. See, this is why I introduced you as the great Andretti Bain.

00:48:08.896 --> 00:48:09.136
I,

00:48:09.166 --> 00:48:13.916
I- This is why ... humbly, I, I accept and I appreciate that. Thank you, Gabe. Well, I have to

00:48:13.956 --> 00:48:19.196
say, if, if the name Andretti wasn't already associated with the word fast,

00:48:19.836 --> 00:48:26.106
then it surely is now between you and Mario Andretti, absolutely. Andretti now j- is just another

00:48:26.136 --> 00:48:29.136
term for fast. I appreciate that. Thank

00:48:29.176 --> 00:48:29.256
you.

00:48:30.656 --> 00:48:35.456
So, uh, a, a couple of quicker questions to finish up here. Number one, I have to ask you about

00:48:35.516 --> 00:48:37.036
your experience with that Keiser leg press,

00:48:37.456 --> 00:48:43.336
because we talked about your training and your training, um, over the course of your career, and then,

00:48:43.376 --> 00:48:47.736
you know, you got about a minute and 20 seconds or so on that leg press, and you were taken

00:48:47.756 --> 00:48:50.066
aback. Yes. Tell us about that

00:48:50.116 --> 00:48:55.076
experience. And, and, and listen, thanks again, Gabe, to, to you and Mike and the whole

00:48:55.156 --> 00:48:59.156
guys, the team, for coming down there to Champion Spirit Country Club in Nassau.

00:48:59.896 --> 00:49:02.476
I think that's, uh, that's an amazing facility

00:49:03.076 --> 00:49:04.056
that we have down there.

00:49:04.516 --> 00:49:06.056
I think we are truly going

00:49:06.196 --> 00:49:06.496
to,

00:49:07.276 --> 00:49:09.476
to produce champions,

00:49:09.796 --> 00:49:12.016
world-class champions, training right there out

00:49:12.036 --> 00:49:14.936
of that facility, um, led by Abdilahi

00:49:15.016 --> 00:49:22.260
Fundiga. It, it, it's go- it's going to be great. And listen, that Keiser, that Keiser leg press-I underestimated

00:49:22.280 --> 00:49:22.960
that. And

00:49:23.000 --> 00:49:27.500
of course I'm thinking, "There's no way that I could go on a machine and it's gonna make me feel

00:49:27.560 --> 00:49:31.060
as if I am actually running a 400-meter race."

00:49:31.720 --> 00:49:33.080
And listen, when Mike turned that

00:49:33.160 --> 00:49:36.300
up. Oh, man.

00:49:36.760 --> 00:49:38.280
I, I love that so much, Gabe.

00:49:38.640 --> 00:49:38.880
Um,

00:49:39.140 --> 00:49:43.280
it just, it is a testament to you guys at Keiser and the Keiser

00:49:43.340 --> 00:49:46.060
brand, and the types of equipment that you guys

00:49:46.120 --> 00:49:51.000
are, are producing that are leading to, to sports performance, or innovating sports

00:49:51.040 --> 00:49:57.940
performance. And so definitely looking forward to, not just for myself, using more of the Keiser equipment, but

00:49:58.040 --> 00:50:01.160
also introducing a lot more athletes to the K- Keiser equipment.

00:50:02.920 --> 00:50:02.980
All

00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:05.980
right. So on that note, your favorite piece of Keiser

00:50:06.000 --> 00:50:07.020
equipment, is it

00:50:07.060 --> 00:50:10.040
the leg press? The, it's definitely the leg press.

00:50:10.530 --> 00:50:12.040
Okay. It's definitely the leg press.

00:50:12.800 --> 00:50:15.040
All right. As a matter of fact, whenever you have Mike return,

00:50:15.640 --> 00:50:19.040
I, I intend, Mike put me through his, his leg press workout. Uh-oh.

00:50:19.100 --> 00:50:21.200
I, I, I- Oh ... have video if I want for you guys.

00:50:22.220 --> 00:50:24.040
I think I have to go to the bathroom during that.

00:50:26.940 --> 00:50:31.240
All right. Couple, couple of quick questions here to finish off, some fun ones. Like a, a rapid fire

00:50:31.740 --> 00:50:32.280
of sorts.

00:50:32.780 --> 00:50:35.320
Best dish or favorite food in the Bahamas?

00:50:35.840 --> 00:50:36.100
Guava

00:50:36.180 --> 00:50:37.980
duff. It's a,

00:50:38.200 --> 00:50:39.940
it's a breaded- What is that? It's a bread,

00:50:40.040 --> 00:50:42.950
it's a breaded pastry that has the

00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:49.220
guava fruit. It has it boiled into it. Now, some persons bake it. I prefer the dough

00:50:49.260 --> 00:50:49.620
being

00:50:50.140 --> 00:50:51.980
boiled. That's how my mom made

00:50:52.020 --> 00:50:56.160
it when I was a kid, and it's my all-time favorite. Guava

00:50:56.260 --> 00:51:00.880
duff. Guava duff. Wow. And it has a nice- Now, you held out on me. You-

00:51:01.020 --> 00:51:03.020
It has a nice sauce. It has a nice guava sauce

00:51:03.100 --> 00:51:06.970
as well. That sounds pretty good. So when you were

00:51:07.040 --> 00:51:11.530
in Oklahoma, okay, now I'm talking freshman year, like September,

00:51:12.380 --> 00:51:14.100
you know, you're no longer around your family, that's

00:51:14.120 --> 00:51:18.080
what you were craving? That's what I was craving, and any time that I went home,

00:51:18.620 --> 00:51:21.040
I got a nice supply of it to bring back

00:51:21.060 --> 00:51:26.300
to Tulsa. Man. Okay. So on the flip side, when you would leave Tulsa

00:51:27.020 --> 00:51:31.040
and go back to the Bahamas, there's gotta be something that was back in Tulsa that you were craving.

00:51:32.080 --> 00:51:34.040
Chinese food. American Chinese food.

00:51:35.529 --> 00:51:39.080
And I'll tell you what- Fast food ... it's quite different from the authentic Chinese

00:51:39.100 --> 00:51:39.780
food in China,

00:51:40.500 --> 00:51:40.700
right?

00:51:41.180 --> 00:51:45.000
And, uh, I went to Beijing and I said, "You know what? I love Chinese food so much,

00:51:45.060 --> 00:51:46.140
so let me go ahead and let

00:51:46.180 --> 00:51:46.400
me

00:51:47.140 --> 00:51:48.980
be in China, go to a Chinese

00:51:49.040 --> 00:51:52.120
restaurant, eat Chinese food." And it was totally

00:51:52.200 --> 00:51:52.940
different. I,

00:51:53.040 --> 00:51:54.160
I, I couldn't do it.

00:51:54.640 --> 00:51:57.140
And so I'll stick with the American version of the Chinese

00:51:57.160 --> 00:51:59.220
food. I can imagine

00:51:59.280 --> 00:52:01.160
that post-silver medal meal

00:52:01.220 --> 00:52:02.140
was, was

00:52:02.160 --> 00:52:02.900
quite hefty there.

00:52:03.460 --> 00:52:06.980
Yes. Your favorite

00:52:07.120 --> 00:52:11.080
activities to do outside of training, outside of running track

00:52:11.100 --> 00:52:11.720
in the Bahamas,

00:52:12.040 --> 00:52:16.660
what do you enjoy doing? I enjoy shooting pool. I don't get to do it as often as I'd like.

00:52:16.780 --> 00:52:19.180
I enjoy bowling. I don't get to do it as often

00:52:19.240 --> 00:52:21.380
as I like. Card games.

00:52:21.740 --> 00:52:24.640
I enjoy play- I enjoy playing dominoes,

00:52:25.420 --> 00:52:27.140
uh, with my friends. I enjoy playing

00:52:27.360 --> 00:52:29.999
Spades, another card game. Mm-hmm.

00:52:30.080 --> 00:52:33.980
And, um, if I can do those in my free

00:52:34.080 --> 00:52:36.120
time, then I'm a happy,

00:52:36.200 --> 00:52:40.980
happy guy. Next time you're in Chicago, we'll go out and get some American Chinese food, and we'll

00:52:41.000 --> 00:52:41.060
go

00:52:41.180 --> 00:52:45.040
bowling. How about that? I appreciate that. I'm gonna keep you to that, Gabe.

00:52:45.320 --> 00:52:48.190
Thank you. Keep me to it, absolutely.

00:52:48.680 --> 00:52:49.200
Um, favorite

00:52:49.400 --> 00:52:51.180
sport outside of track

00:52:51.200 --> 00:52:56.200
and field to watch? I love watching basketball and American

00:52:56.260 --> 00:52:59.060
football. I, I, I honestly enjoy it.

00:53:00.020 --> 00:53:00.110
All

00:53:00.160 --> 00:53:00.420
right.

00:53:01.240 --> 00:53:07.260
And then the individual 400-meter Olympic champion this summer will be from which country?

00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:09.040
Steven Gardner from

00:53:09.080 --> 00:53:09.840
the Bahamas.

00:53:11.080 --> 00:53:11.280
Yeah?

00:53:12.200 --> 00:53:14.060
Yeah. All right. We have

00:53:14.100 --> 00:53:16.960
it recorded. We have it recorded. Good. I'm gonna hold, I'm gonna hold you

00:53:17.040 --> 00:53:22.770
to that one. And Shaunae Miller-Uibo from the Bahamas. I think the Bahamas are gonna win the men and the

00:53:22.800 --> 00:53:24.120
women's 400 meters.

00:53:25.020 --> 00:53:27.040
One-one. One-one, men and

00:53:27.080 --> 00:53:31.980
women. All right. Well, we'll see what happens, and we'll make sure that we cut this and, uh, play

00:53:32.000 --> 00:53:36.180
it back when it happens. Yes, and mixed relay. We're gonna clean it up, Gabe.

00:53:36.420 --> 00:53:38.120
Everything. Everything.

00:53:38.620 --> 00:53:39.080
Gold. It's

00:53:39.120 --> 00:53:44.440
a gold rush in the Bahamas this Olympics in the 400 and 4x400 relays. Anything 400

00:53:45.040 --> 00:53:46.180
is a gold for the Bahamas.

00:53:46.780 --> 00:53:48.990
Yes. We are the quarter-mile capital of the

00:53:49.080 --> 00:53:54.310
world. That might, that's gonna be the, uh, title for the episode,

00:53:54.360 --> 00:54:01.120
I think. Yeah. All right. Amazing. Andretti, thank you so much for joining me today on the Keiser Human Performance.

00:54:01.200 --> 00:54:07.810
Podcast. Appreciate you, you' know, not just for today, but for being an amazing host down the Hum- Bahamas for

00:54:07.880 --> 00:54:13.580
us. We're glad that you're a part of the field of human performance, and wish you. nothing but continued health

00:54:13.780 --> 00:54:20.000
and success on your journey. We'll make sure that we' drop your Instagram handle in the episode notes

00:54:20.020 --> 00:54:24.060
below. Make sure if you're listening that you' check that out and give Andretti a follow to stay

00:54:24.080 --> 00:54:28.120
up-to-date on him. Gabe, I appreciate you.

00:54:28.340 --> 00:54:33.820
so much, not just for the pr- professional network that we have been able to develop, but also for the

00:54:33.860 --> 00:54:35.200
friendship that we're developing.

00:54:35.720 --> 00:54:36.080
I'm very

00:54:36.200 --> 00:54:41.060
proud of you. I appreciate the time that I had spent with you down in the Bahamas,

00:54:41.520 --> 00:54:42.020
uh, the whole

00:54:42.040 --> 00:54:45.240
Keiser team. And, uh, definitely looking forward

00:54:45.300 --> 00:54:48.000
to us working and collaborating a lot more

00:54:48.020 --> 00:54:51.280
in the future. Awesome. Thank you so much. Appreciate

00:54:51.320 --> 00:54:51.460
you.

00:54:52.360 --> 00:54:58.460
Thank you, Gabe. We appreciate you tuning in to this episode of the Keiser Human Performance Podcast.

00:54:59.080 --> 00:55:00.050
To stay up-to-date on

00:55:00.080 --> 00:55:01.760
all things Keiser, follow us

00:55:02.040 --> 00:55:02.780
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00:55:03.100 --> 00:55:05.169
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00:55:06.000 --> 00:55:08.220
For more content, you can visit our Keiser Fitness

00:55:08.300 --> 00:55:13.160
YouTube page, and at our website, www.keiser.com.

00:55:13.260 --> 00:55:13.620
Thank you,

00:55:14.000 --> 00:55:14.840
and have a great day.