How old are you?

I am 30 Years old, I will turn 31 in May 13 2010

Where were you born?

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Where do you live now?

Charlotte, NC at the moment but I might be moving back near Fayetteville, NC

How did you end up there?

Well I stopped by Myers Park High School in Charlotte just to say hello to Chris St. Clair.  I was coaching and teaching in Fayetteville, NC at Cape Fear High School and I new that that job was not going to allow me to compete at the level I wanted to in the highland games.  So I set out to find a new job and I was heading up for an interview at Lake Norman High School near the Loch Norman Highland Games and on the way back to Fayetteville I drove down I77 to see Chris St Clair.  Myers Park had just hired a new football coach and he was teaching in the room right next to Chris and I talked to him and they needed some coaches and the rest is history.

What do you drive?

2002 F150 XLT (I bought is when I got my first teaching job)

What do you do for a living?

I’m a teacher and a coach (football and track) and I consider the highland games part of my living as well

How did you get into that?

I knew from early on I wanted to coach.  I have no idea what sparked it. I have always loved sports.  I knew that one day when I was done playing that I wanted to coach.  It’s a great job.  I like helping kids and other athletes (highland games) get better.

You work at the same school with Chris StClair, do they just think highland games athletes are common?  What is that like?

It’s good now that Chris has started training again.  He took some time off to focus on his career and become a national board certified teacher and make some more money, and he was also focusing on strongman as well.  He has now started throwing and lifting again, which is good. We actually have thrown twice in the past three days.  All of my kids know what I do and they ask me how I do at competitions. 

Tell us about your education?

I went to South Brunswick High School.  I graduated there in 1997.  I then went to Appalachian State University and I graduated there in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education.

Tell me how you met your wife?

She is a Saint.  We met in college in our senior year. We both are teachers...well we both were teachers, now she is a stay at home mom.  We worked hard for five years so she could stay home.  She is a great woman, she has put up with me leaving for months at a time to throw.  She has also dealt with me coaching and being gone all hours of the night to football games, basketball games, wrestling matches and track meets.  I owe a lot of my success in the games to her.  Before we had kids I would coach a football game on Friday night till 10:00pm or so. Then we would jump in the car and she would drive 4 hours or so to Richmond, Stone Mountain, etc etc so I could sleep and then compete.  She is a great coaches wife and a great highland games wife.  I have never met anyone like her. I knew from the first day I met her I wanted to marry her and I am so lucky that we are together.  I cannot imagine what my life would be like without her she is the best.

Tell me about your kids?

Awesome.  I have two kids under two...life is busy. I have my Boy Wee Gregor Allen Brock 1-26-08, and my sweet little girl Kylie Adele Brock 10-24-09.... yeah we didn’t waste anytime.  The best part of my day is coming home and seeing my boy run up to the window screaming "daddy"."daddy” its great I can’t wait till both of em can run up to me.  I love being a dad. 

As a kid growing up, what was your first job?

My first Job was cutting string on a tobacco stringer on my grandparent’s farm.  I would sit on the stringer, as the tobacco was being sewn onto the tobacco sticks and cut the strings in between the sticks.  I had me an old-timer knife and I was three or four so it was pretty cool to play with a knife when I was that young.  I also got to drive the tractor until I screwed up and ran over some irrigation pipes on the way back from the field with a load of tobacco.  I was six of seven then and I thought my uncle was going to kill me, but he was cool and sent me back to the stringer with my knife.

When you grew up as a kid, what sports did you play?

My first organized team sport was Softball when I lived in Massachusetts.  My dad was working as an electrician up in mass and they stared my sister and me on a softball team, I had a blast.  I then started little league when we moved back to North Carolina in the 5th grade. I started playing football in the 6th grade.

Did you throw in high school and if so what did you throw?

I threw Shot and discus on my high school team and I also threw on a junior Olympic track team and I got to throw Javelin.  My high school prs in the Shot was 54'9" and 185'5" in the discus.... Javelin I cant remember I think I threw over 150 and got to go to nationals.  I was a big javelin thrower but it was fun.

Tell us about throwing in college.

Throwing in college was fun. I was on a football scholarship and they said I could do track...well that was not really the case.  I didn’t get to practice much because of football season, then winter conditioning, and then spring football.  At one point during college I was waking up at 5:30 to run until 7:00am with the football team, then I went to class all day and then track practice and them weight room.  I lost down from 305 when I reported to school to 255.  I was accused of being an underwear model because I was getting so skinny.  All in all throwing was fun.  I was two-time southern conference discus throw champion.  I also was named All-conference in shot put, javelin, and 35# weight throw indoors.  I wish I could have practiced more but I still had fun.

Tell us about playing football in college

Football was a full time job.  I had a lot of fun and learned how to deal with pain. I had a lot of injuries from football.  3 knee surgeries, elbow surgery and broken fibula.  Appalachian State Football is Great, I played from 1997-2002.  I started my last three years at guard. Our team won the 1999 southern conference championship and we made it to the 2000 semi finals.  I had some good tough coaches who taught me the right way to play.  I use what they taught me now when I coach.  I was lucky to have such great Coaches at Appalachian and It was a blessing to have been granted enough size and athletic ability to get to play at that level.

What was your first Highland Game and when was that?

1998 Grandfather Mountain

Who was at that game?

Kearney Smith, Donna Mcneilly, Greg Cameron, Todd Mcdougal, Chris StClair, Dave Lyttle, my team mate at app Adam Gilbert

What made you decide to try and compete at a game

Well my track coach suggested it and I thought it would be cool.  My cousin had told me about the games when I was in high school.  He had competed and showed me all his medals and tried to get me involved then but I was too busy throwing the shot and discus and playing football. Being that I knew he competed I called him and asked him to borrow his kilt.  So I woke up at 5:30 am and drove to the foot of grandfather mountain...about 10 miles from my house I paid for the shuttle up, paid the entry fee, and met over 30 competitors fighting it out for 10 spots.  I can honestly say I won the first event I ever did in the highland games...The Grandfather Mountain Stone (clachneart) Putt.  Which really pissed off the other throwers who had been doing it a while, because I was a "ringer"  but then they handed me the 56 wfd and I think I threw it 12 feet.  I was lucky enough to make the cut (and get my entry fee back) and I got my ass kicked in the rest of the events.  I left the mountain with the bagpipes ringing in my ear and reported to work as a dishwasher at Nicks restaurant until 2:00am...man that was 12 years ago.... memories

 You had to compete a lot with David Lyttle, KO, K Monster and the Clair when you started, what was that like.  Tell some stories about competing with them.

       David Lyttle:  We competed in our first highland games together at GMHG and I consider Dave a great guy and a tremendous athlete. Dave and I really had a lot in common with our track and field background.  Dave is a great guy and has worked hard to become a doctor. He is a wealth of knowledge and he has given back to highland games by putting on games, clinics etc.  Dave is a true southern gentleman and I value Dave as a friend and stand up guy

      KO:  One of my most respected rivals and a great friend.  Over the years Kerry and I have had some battles, we have also had some great times.  I love throwing with Kerry. Kerry and I have pushed each other to throw farther. Kerry and I share a common bond because we both coach football and throw. So we understand the work that goes into trying to juggle family, throwing, coaching etc etc.  Kerry is another athlete who is giving back to the sport by being an Athletic director and doing clinics and coaching and doing clinics etc.  He is a true southern brethren and I love him dearly.

     Kearney:  Kearney has been a trooper dealing with many injuries and still coming back.  Kearney loves throwing for throwing, He enjoys the games and I find him to be a very unique individual.  I can tell you that he can aggravate me more than any other athlete when I have to throw after him because half the time he is not ready to throw when its his turn.... but I still love the big teddy bear and I know he has worked hard to throw far.   Just don’t ever travel with him because Kearney time is not the same time as the rest of the world.

      Chris St. Clair:  He was my first training partner in Boone, NC.  He would come to Boone and we would train together.  I would play a football game on Saturday and be feeling like hell and then train on Sundays and have a blast. Chris is a good dude. I enjoy training with him and I ask him for advice on certain things and I try to help him when he needs it.  We have also traveled to a lot of games together this past year and I really have enjoyed our trips on the road.  We stopped at a Red Lobster on the way back from Virginia Scottish Games this year and had the all you can eat shrimp and man It was awesome.... all those little tasty morsels of sea delights...I’m hungry just thinking about that.  Back to Chris lol... he took some time off and I think he is ready to get going and have a good season this year.  Its good to have someone to train with and its even better to have a good quality thrower and friend like Chris around.

 What is your favorite event?

 Well it can vary from game to game.... but Id say I would rank it (Light Hammer/28 WFD/ 56 WFD/Heavy Hammer) 

What is a common mistake you see people make in that event?

Hammers---Short arms--low point floats.  Weights would be eating too much trig up at the back and not setting up the proper spring phase and fighting the weights

Who were the first people to influence and coach you in the sport

One of the first people to really help me at the games was Donna Mcneilly. She was score keeping at Grandfather and I really had no idea what I was doing. She explained the etiquette of the games. Which I still believe in like (returning your implement, weights, sheaf etc.)  Chris helped me tremendously when I first got started, we were pretty good with training together.  I got help from Larry Satchwell's training video that I purchased from him at a game early.  Kay Cummings was a big part of the amateur scene.  I learned a lot form the old UHATV videos.  I would watch Alistair Gunn, Ryan Vierra, Francis Brebner, Steve Pulcinella, Peter Gundmundson, Karl Dodge, and the list goes on.  I still have all those old UHA TAPES and I love watching them.  I am a bit envious that that kind of coverage is not around these days.  Ross Morrison was a big help to me as well. Chris Chafin and I also would practice together a lot early in my career and we had a lot of fun. Chris and I would have all day throw a thons.  All the events over and over again....hot hot hot practices when we would throw and then go inside for twenty mins then come back out and so on and so on.  I think it made us good throwers. 

Talk some about throwing games as an amateur, what games you did and where.

I did a lot of games in the southeast/mid Atlantic region (Grandfather, Loch, Charleston, Alexandria, Richmond, etc etc I also traveled to Massachusetts for the western mass games.)

What were your favorite amateur games?

Hands down Grandfather Mountain...even though as an amateur it is hard to get to but the spectacle that is grandfather is unreal.  It was my first game I ever did and I always hold grandfather as my favorite amateur games

 Talk about some of the pro games you have done and your favorites.

God has blessed me with a great family that has allowed me to travel the world and experience so many great places, games, cultures and people.  I have traveled to Indonesia which even though I got sick I still think that It was an awesome experience to get to see a place of the world that I never would have gone to unless it was for the games.  My favorite all time Pro games is The Aboyne Games.  Held in August Aboyne to me is what a true Scottish Games is.  It was very much what grandfather is in the US as far as implements, and the way the games run.  I also hold aboyne as a special place because that is where I first met the Great Bill Anderson. Aboyne to me is a game that for some reason I fell in love with.  If you win the game they engrave your name on a trophy, which has been around many many years.  My name is on a trophy with some of the best throwers of all time (Alistair Gunn, Francis Brebner, bill Anderson, grant Anderson, Arthur Rowe, Bruce Aitken and the list on that trophy goes on and I won it three times and I hope to one day when I’m old and beat up I can take my kids there and show them the Donald Dinnie trophy which stands about two feet tall and show them.

Who do you enjoy competing with and why?

Ryan Vierra: The Greatest Highland games athlete in US history. 

Sean Betz:  Tough Competitor, great person, and awesome thrower

Kerry Overfelt: I can’t imagine not having KO around, awesome friend and competitor

Harrison Bailey: Awesome athlete and I respect Harrison greatly.  He is a pioneer in the sport with the spin and a great person

James Parman: underrated thrower in the games, Super talented thrower and a great guy to learn the ropes from. Awesome guy

Craig Smith: Talented thrower, great strength and down to earth.  Fun to hang and throw with. 

Greg Hadley: Funny guy with loads of power. We have had some fun together, we can always quote movies. Hadley has great determination and I respect him for all he does with his games in Nova Scotia...Great Fun

Alistair Gunn: He is a legend and definately pound for pound the greatest thrower of all time

Chris Chafin: hard worker and enthusiastic. I always enjoy seeing Chris at games

 There is a lot of people I enjoy throwing with and the list is really long.... a lot of the times I really enjoy are the times when we are not competing and just having fun.

Talk about some of the throws, games and moments you are most proud of.

Favorite Accomplishments: 2007 US Championships, World hammer Championships, I also like to win at everything I do...but I think the biggest thing I like is the fact that I can be consistent.  The greatest feeling I have ever had was turning the caber in Edinburgh this year at the worlds.

You once saw a thrower loose his balance and catch himself on another thrower, can you explain why the man was so vilified over this miss understanding, as he was clearly a victim of circumstances?

Things happen...maybe he had vertigo??

Talk about training and your philosophy in that area?

My job although is to throw far...I get paid to throw far. So I train to throw far.  My philosophy is to train like a thrower.  I lift to throw farther.

Tell us about some of the injuries you had as an athlete.

Football: 3 knee scopes, broken fibula, elbow surgery, tore ac ligament in shoulder

Highland Games: 1 Knee surgery, Herniated disc in neck, torn quad, ankle sprain...more to come lol

What impresses you now in the sport?

I’m impressed with level of throwers in the United States.  I also am impressed with the organization of the Canadian federation (csaf), I’m impressed with the athletic directors who devote hours to the games.

Who makes you laugh at games now?

KO, Chris Chafin, Craig, Sean, Harrison, Craig Sinclair, Tommy Debruyn, Eric f, hell I laugh all day lol.... I always have a great time

What do you like to do outside of the games?

Coach Football, Track, BIG HUNTER,

What other hobbies do you have?

None really I am really into hunting

What is your favorite food?

Steak and shrimp

 What supplements do you take?

Creatine, Amino Acids, fast twitch, protein shakes

What do you drink with a meal at home?

Water...I’m too cheap to pay for drinks

What beer do you like?

Highland Brewing Company and yuengling

Do you mow your own grass and what kind of mower do you have?

I have a push mower that was left with the house when I bought the house.... the plastic doo hickey that kind of stops the grass from shooting everywhere is broken off so when I cut the grass it shoots all over the neighbors yard...lol

Do you like to garden?

I would but I’m never home to water it

Are you a Democrat or Republican? 

Democrat but I’m open to whomever I like...but mostly democrat. I don’t vote straight ticket

Are you into Astrology?  What sign are you?

Not into it but I am a Taurus

Are you a religious man, and if so, what do you practice?

Baptist need to go more than I do but I am a Christian and I do believe in God

 What does your wife call you when nobody is around?

Larry

Where do you take the wife out to eat?

We only eat out if we have a coupon...so wherever we have a buy one get one coupon.

What would your wife say is your best body part?

All Of It

Chris Chafin says you have a Charlie Brown head, what part of him reminds you of a cartoon character? 

Chafin reminds me of dangle from Reno 911...now that’s funny right there...Chris is a lot of fun and has worked hard to throw far.

 What do you like to watch on TV?

College Football, Survivor, Grays Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, American Idol, CMT

Are you a western movie or sci fi person?  Tell a favorite.

Neither

What is there left in the sport you wish to accomplish and what are the goals this year?

I want to be world champion, but I feel that I am lucky to have done what I have done up to this point. There are many others in this world who have not been blessed with the athletic talents and health as I have been.  I know that I am lucky.  I try not to take what God has given me for granted. 

I would really like to thank all the great people in the games and all the great competitors, judges and athletic directors who put in a lot of time and effort that makes the games continue to thrive all over the US and the world

As Always