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Recent Articles
 Photo courtesy: Kevin Hansen + Enlarge Photo Brandon Caswell... Flat Out Flying! Q&A with Pendleton HS's Brandon Caswell Question: You are entered in three events (100m, 200m, & 800m) at the State Meet this year and you are coming off of a recent pr for 800m (1:47.67a) at the IMC District Meet. What are your goals and expectations for your final appearance at the State T&F Meet? Brandon Caswell: My goal is beat all the remaining records left by Kacey McCallister. He set such a high standard my freshman year that it would be an honor to surpass them. Question: You have improved dramatically in each of your events since your freshman year, including a 3:22.19a for 1500 meters this year to shatter Kacey McCallister's previous state record by more than 10 seconds. First, what has been the biggest catalyst for your constant improvement from year to year? Second, describe your feelings at surpassing the 1500 meter record by such a large margin? BC: The main reason for my improvement was that when I was a freshman, I had no choice but to improve. I realized that and worked really hard every year with my coaches. When I broke Kacey's 1500 meter record it was a feeling that very few have ever felt before. It was an accomplishment that I had been focusing on my entire high school career, and to break it in front of a huge crowd that was supporting me, words fall short to explain my emotion. Question: For those of us who don't know, what is the hardest part, physically, of competing in events of 800m to 3000m? You make it look far easier than it must be... describe how it feels cardiovascular-wise versus muscular endurance -wise. At what point in a race does it get difficult? BC: An 800 is a sprint the entire way. I try and hold about 20 mph until the finish than I let loose and leave what ever I have left on the track. During a 3000m I will hold about 18mph consistently until about the last lap when I sprint the entire last 400m. Your muscles tend to loosen up during a 3000m so it’s a lot easier race to run. Question: The 1500m & 3000m are not part of the State T&F Meet program this year. How disappointing is that to you to not be able to do the two events that you have really rewritten the books on? BC: We were only given 3 races to choose from this year, and since not all the racers are strong enough to run over 200m, we chose races that I or anyone else haven’t been given the opportunity to break yet, so I hope to be able to leave my mark in more depth. Question: Describe your work and relationships with Nicole Stewart (Pendleton HS) and Kevin Hansen (World Wheelchair Sports). BC: Nicole has been my mentor since day one. We both entered the wheelchair racing scene with as little knowledge as one can have, but because she believed in me, she worked just as hard if not harder than I have to improve our over-all knowledge of the sport. I owe almost everything I’ve accomplished to her, and hopefully one day I’ll be able to repay her with a gold medal. Kevin Hansen has improved my ability so greatly that I couldn’t even imagine where I’d be without him. He once coached the greatest wheelchair athlete of his time, and for him to try and do the same with me is an honor I’ll never be able to repay unless it’s with a gold medal. Question: Because of your success in Track & Field you are an inspiration to countless others. Who have been the people in your life who have inspired you the most? BC: My teammates inspire me to be all that I can be. They know how hard I work, and when they see that it bothers me that I can’t score points to help them out, they let me know that I still make a difference on the track. I also am inspired by my parents who had the courage to make me independent even though it was a struggle when I was young. Question: You recently competed at the 2007 Bloomsday Run and placed 7th overall in the wheelchair division. The Bloomsday Run is about as bigtime as it gets. Tell us about your performance at Bloomsday and what are the differences between racing on the roads and on the track (hills being one of the big differences)? BC: Earning 7th at such a elite race was a huge accomplishment. I have been out of the racing world for almost 9 months, due to school, and to come into the season unranked and under everyone's radar was a huge accomplishment. Racing on the road is a lot harder than a track. You have all the issues with tires and the pavement, but they are a lot more exciting to do. I prefer track because with a huge field of elite racers all in the same race, you never no what to expect and you can watch it all unfold up close. Question: Last Fall you competed for the U.S. team that won a silver medal at the World Championships. Tell us about that experience and how cool was that to be representing your country on one of the biggest stages of all. BC: It was an experience that I’ll never trade for anything. I was in another country on my birthday and didn’t have to spend a dime. It was a blessing that I hope to make a routine of one day. When we crossed the finish line in 2nd place our whole team was ecstatic, 1) because we had hardly ever practiced together and 2) we were the youngest team out there and with Beijing right around the corner we had plenty of time for improvement to become the best. The most exciting thing was wearing that USA uniform, it will always be an honor that I will never take for granted because I know how much hard work it took to get to that point. Question: What are your future plans after graduating from hs? From what I heard you will be competing in college for the University of Arizona? BC: I plan on attending the University of Arizona and majoring in Journalism. I want to write an inspirational book about all my struggles and victories, and all the things people take for granted that we as “disabled people” struggle with but find ways to overcome them. Question: Anything else? BC: If it wasn’t for the blessings of God then I wouldn’t be here today. He is the reason I can wake up and live the dream that he has allowed me to.
Brandon Caswell is a senior at Pendleton Hs (Pendelton, OR) and is scheduled to compete in the 100m, 200m, & 800m wheelchair events at the 2007 OSAA State T&F Meet on May 17-19 at University of Oregon. RELATED LINKS |
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