Canton Shot Putter Trains for Olympic-Style Competition

While fans count the days to watch the world’s best athletes perform at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Robert Barrett of Canton is training hard for some elite competition of his own.

Barrett, 25 and a two-time champion shot putter in his native Oregon’s state games, will be looking to medal at the Meijer State Games of Michigan.

The games, which begin June 22 at East Kentwood High School, offer an Olympic-style event with more than 5,000 athletes from around Michigan competing in 31 different sports.

This year is Barrett’s first year competing at the Michigan event, after moving to Canton in July 2011 to study in his graduate program at Eastern Michigan University. He also works as a sports performance coach at Dynamic Athlete Performance, located at in Canton, coaching speed, strength and agility.

Barrett grew up in Eugene, OR, which he describes as the “track mecca of the United States,” and began track and field events in 8th grade and has performed in competitions around the Pacific Northwest in the 11 years since, even earning a scholarship at Western Oregon University, where he competed for four years.

Now a Michigan resident, he hopes to bring his success to competitions in his new home state and hopes to earn a bid to compete on a national stage.

“If I medal this year in the top three, it will qualify me for the 2013 State Games of America,” he said.

While Barrett has been wrapped up in his own training for the state games, he has his eyes on the happenings at the Olympic level, even if it is a distant dream for himself.

“I’m a track geek,” he said. “I pay attention to how all the big guys are doing.”

When those games get under way, he said, he’ll be tuning in.

“The Olympics for me are bigger than the Super Bowl,” he said.

As for his own chances of qualifying to compete on the global stage, Barrett jokes that he’d have as good of a chance as getting struck by lightning.

“If you look at any of the guys right now that have a chance to go to the Olympics, they’re on a four-year program,” he said.

Barrett, meanwhile, has had about a two-year hiatus from state games-level competition, in part because of the timing of his move to Michigan.

Barrett, who coaches himself at shot put and sometimes also competes in discus and hammer throw competitions, says he competes mostly for fun, but is stronger now than he has ever been before.

The next step, he said, is having his increased strength boost his shot put skills.

“It’s not translating well to the ring because of the fact I’ve made some huge changes in my throwing,” he said. “I’m starting to pick up some of my old form, but it’s a process.”

Longer-term, he said, he hopes to be able to compete well into his 50s on the masters circuit.

“I have to stay healthy through my aging,” he said. “If I put in another 25 years of technique, by then I should have it down.”

Registration remains open for many Meijer State Games events through June 20. Visit www.stategamesofmichigan.com for entry information. Visitor information also is available on the website.