How the World’s Fastest Blind Man Got Faster During Lockdown
As David Brown gets set to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics, he reflects on turning quarantine into a training triumph
When I got the notification that the [Paralympic] Games were going to be postponed, I was just like, “Well, what time are we practicing?” It didn’t matter if the games were delayed — I was going to be ready regardless.
My training changed dramatically. At first, we were able to go to the track, but eventually, stuff started shutting down and we were home. Not going to the track hindered me from being able to train with a guide. It went from being able to sprint about 150 meters to me having access only to a park, where I can only go about 30 meters, if not 60 meters, possibly pushing it about 80 meters.
I had access to a hill, so I was able to do hill sprints. I utilized things around the house to help continue the strength and conditioning portions — med balls and different bodyweight exercises. I invested in a lot of jump ropes, so I got my cardio in that way and got motivated by fitness YouTubers. Jumping rope was the best thing in the sense of transferring what I can do from the jump rope over to the track.
The postponement was a big benefit for me. It was a huge shift, but it allowed me to focus on things that I probably would not have focused on if the Games hadn’t been postponed. I needed to focus on my nutrition; I’ve always had a problem with that. I was able to get in great condition, lose about 15 pounds, still be very fit and gain more power, too. My lean muscle mass has gone up. My speed has increased. I’ve seen a difference, and it’s been tremendous.
Being blind, we’re not able to travel everywhere ourselves. Sometimes we have to make do with what we have at our house. That’s one thing that I’ve taken from my childhood — it’s ingrained in me.
Prior to me being at the Olympic Training Center, I was an at-home trainer. My mom wasn’t able to take me to the track all the time, so I had to run up and down the stairs, do pushups, high knees, whatever I could utilize around the house. I felt like a kid again, honestly, just trying to get myself from point A to B.
Having this extra knowledge now has helped increase the training I didn’t know before the pandemic. Now I can push myself in a controlled setting and make gains in a beneficial way.
I’m good at running in a straight line if somebody is standing at a certain point and clapping and yelling so I can run to the sound. But being able to do that on a track is very hard.
Now that I’m able to train outdoors, I run with a guide. Having a guide right beside you, especially with the vision that I have, is very humbling in a sport that is so individual. There are not many words I can put to that. The feeling is indescribable to have somebody that’s helping you on that great of a magnitude. It’s unexplainable, honestly. I have to run with gauze over my eyes as well as a blinder — that wipes out any sight or light perception. So even if somebody who did have sight were to run with us, they’re in the same predicament now. We’re all on an equal playing field.
To have somebody right there beside you helping you, having to trust them, is very humbling. Not being able to run with a guide during the pandemic was a hard shot because now you can’t run as far as you necessarily need to. I’m good at running in a straight line if somebody is standing at a certain point and clapping and yelling so I can run to the sound. But being able to do that on a track is very hard. When you’re dealing with a curb, you can’t do that.
So the training did change dramatically during the pandemic, but with just some manipulations, it can come back really quick. So let’s say you run 80 meters, you rest for like 30 seconds, and then you go again. That could tap into the same kind of a system if you were going 120 meters or 150 meters.
My advice for every athlete would be don’t stop. But at the same time, if you did stop, how do you get back going? Start slow; that’s one thing. If we try to get back to where we were too fast, that’s how injuries happen. Sometimes we have to take a step back to go forward. When I was in quarantine at my house, I leaped maybe a hundred steps backward. It took those setbacks to get me to where I am now.
I took time to focus on those little things, like those little muscles inside your leg to help stabilize you, to help push you forward. A little bit of focus gives you that much of an edge. And in races where hundreds of tenths of seconds matter, that little 1% matters a lot.
Take that step back, focus on those little things, and move forward. There’s no rush. Just enjoy the process; enjoy the journey. And then pick it up as time goes on. Find some music, put some headphones on, and go for it.
Here’s something to keep in mind: When we’re competing, we’re not competing every day.
Sure, we’re training every day, but we’re not going 100% every day. We may only train at like 80%, but then we’re competing once a week. So you can go for a personal best at least once a week. Then have a rest day — we call it our shakeout days. You shouldn’t try to push for a personal record every day because that would lead to burnout and possibly even injuring yourself.
During this year’s Paralympic Games, prepare to look for some great competition. I can’t predict what’s going to happen. On the day of competition, anything can happen. As soon as you put your hands down on the line, you bring all you got, and the person beside you brings all they got. All you can hope and pray for is that what you bring is more than what they bring. — As told to Jada Gomez
