win at life
Posted 10:54 am on Monday, December 12, 2022
By Michelle Love
Images offered by Justin Stuckey
The previous two years have been a whirlwind of triumphs for Helena’s Justin Stuckey. The monitor and discipline athlete has already achieved a powerful abstract of feats in his sports activities profession.
Stuckey’s athletic profession started as a tri-sport athlete at Helena Excessive Faculty, competing in basketball, soccer, and monitor and discipline. Whereas he joked that he solely joined the monitor as a result of it was the place the ladies have been, Stuckey rapidly discovered his calling with the game.
Throughout the 2021 indoor and out of doors seasons, he set a private greatest within the lengthy soar with a leap of seven.15 meters, ending third on the SoCon Indoor Championships. He then received the SoCon excessive soar title with a mark of seven’ 1.5” to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Nationals.
On the NCAA, Stuckey set a Samford file with a soar of seven.18 meters, or 7′ 1.75″, however the halls didn’t finish Stuckey’s profession at Samford. Within the out of doors season , he continued to dominate.Stuckey set a brand new college file within the males’s out of doors excessive soar and received the person title.
Due to his excessive marks, Stuckey was in a position to qualify for the NCAA Nationwide Outside Championships, and one in every of Stuckey’s most spectacular accomplishments is that he competed within the 2020 Olympic Trials in Tokyo.
In April 2022, Stuckey introduced he was transferring from Samford to Auburn College. Though he mentioned he is had a number of success on and off the monitor at Samford, he is excited to see what Auburn has to supply, and he mentioned up to now it has been an excellent transition.
“It has been fairly good up to now,” he mentioned. “The monitor program is doing properly. I am not the one one adapting. I turned a pacesetter within the staff. Individuals respect what I’ve accomplished on and off the monitor.
Throughout his quick time at Auburn, Stuckey continued to use the identical onerous work and dedication that introduced him to Samford. Including to his record of accomplishments, he began the “Caught in my Ideas” podcast the place he interviews sports activities personalities. After expressing to a colleague who works for ESPN that he wished to work for ESPN sooner or later, the colleague informed Stuckey that he ought to contemplate beginning a podcast.
Stuckey mentioned he began listening to the “I Am Athlete” podcast, and it helped him notice he too might have his personal present. He requested his cousin to set him up with the audiovisuals and he interviewed Montrell Washington, a pal of his who had simply been drafted by the Denver Broncos.
The podcast now has 5 episodes, together with interviews with the likes of Matthew Boling (UGA monitor and discipline athlete), Lauren Sisler (ESPN sportscaster), Jim Cavale (founding father of the NIL INFLCR app), Bruce Pearl (coach -Auburn males’s basketball chief).
Stuckey mentioned he improved his expertise filming and modifying the video and developing with interview tales. The entire course of takes a few week to do all the pieces from filming, modifying, and posting to Youtube. He prefers dialog type interviews – relaxed, however nonetheless skilled. He additionally prefers to method “unfiltered” conversations.
“It does not need to be so tense,” he mentioned. “I like listening to what folks need to say and expressing their opinions on totally different subjects. I need folks to see the angle we now have as athletes behind the scenes and even random issues like relationships. I believe it could be enjoyable to speak a few bunch of various subjects with these folks so you will get to know them.
To this point, Stuckey mentioned his favourite visitor on the podcast was his first.
“I might at all times go along with the primary one, Montrell Washington,” he mentioned. “That one was extra actual, a private dialog. I already knew him fairly properly, so that is what I like about it…as a result of he was able to be within the episode and listen to his story coming from a low college and going to the professionals. Nevertheless it simply builds from there.
The podcast takes up a number of Stuckey’s time, however he mentioned it is easy whenever you take pleasure in it.
“It allowed me to satisfy new folks and listen to their views, and it allowed me to take totally different tales with me to my athletic meets,” he mentioned. “It is nice to see one thing that you just put your thoughts to work out and also you recognize it and it is profitable.”
With such a busy schedule, he does not have a lot time to decompress, however Stuckey mentioned that is what you join. He has a routine that includes his exercises, college, social life and practices, and he mentioned it is a steadiness that takes getting used to however is not overwhelming.
“It is precisely what I do and I like what I do,” he mentioned. “I am blessed. I do not really feel like there’s something I should not be doing proper now. When you get into that rhythm, it is actually simply enjoyable.
Stuckey’s work ethic could come as a shock to some who would not anticipate it from somebody so younger, however for him, the pursuit of greatness has change into the usual he holds himself to. He mentioned he likes Auburn’s dynamic that enables for wholesome competitors and encourages greatness by way of what he calls wholesome strain.
“Strain is a privilege, or so they are saying,” he mentioned. “Being right here at Auburn, we now have a extremely good all-around staff on the nationwide stage, and I like with the ability to discuss in regards to the dynamics of the staff. Personally, I’ve certified for the final three seasons that I have been in for a nationwide championship. It is not even a thought anymore, it is simply what the norm is. It is an excellent alternative and an excellent feeling to have the ability to have this chance.
“The setting and the tradition (in Auburn) is about profitable,” he continued. “And never simply profitable each monitor competitors, profitable in life. It is a profitable mindset throughout and ensuring we’re nice folks throughout.
For Stuckey, mediocrity isn’t an choice.
“I imagine in going sturdy in all the pieces you do,” he mentioned. “Whether or not it is my education, my podcast, my relationship with God, you simply need to put your all into it. You may’t exchange onerous work.”
Via all of it, Stuckey by no means forgets the place he got here from and he continuously travels to Helena to test in and nurture his hometown connections.
“I have been right here since I used to be 5,” Stuckey mentioned. “I keep in mind when the varsity was being constructed. It will at all times be my dwelling. You’ve got this good sense of belonging, folks know your identify and you’ve got a superb relationship with everybody within the metropolis. Whenever you come from Helena, you’re at all times from Helena. It is inspiring to see a spot you’re keen on a lot develop this fashion.
Stuckey describes himself as a “flawed individual attempting to do properly”, and he mentioned his relationship with God has been an enormous driving drive in his private {and professional} life.
“I am at all times in search of how I can enhance whether or not it is on the monitor or off the monitor,” he mentioned. “I simply need to do nice issues and signify my identify properly and present people who with God you are able to do something. I am simply blessed. I like the life I stay.
