Kara Winger: Exceptionally Talented American Javelin Thrower Two-time Olympian and American Record Holder Shares Her Inspirational Story of Success

Kara Winger is an exceptionally talented and highly accomplished American javelin thrower. She is 4-time USA National Champion, 2-time Olympian and 2-time World Championships team member. She is American Record Holder at 66.67m (218'9") in javelin throw. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You were born in Seattle, Washington and your geometry teacher in 9th grade motivated you to throw the javelin. You won three state championships in the javelin for Skyview High School. You won 4-times USA National Champion from 2008 to 2011 and is two time Olympian 2008 and 2012. You reached the pinnacle of success by setting up the American Record of 66.67 meters in javelin throw. What factors do you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?

Ms. Kara Winger: First of all, I have fantastic parents who have always empowered me to overcome challenges with their ever-present supportiveness. My parents are very active, but my family isn't into sports that much: We never watched mainstream sports on TV growing up, and my brother and I mostly played made-up games outside with the neighborhood kids.

So, when I started playing organized sports, I don't remember feeling any pressure whatsoever from them: My teams were where my friends were, and somewhere along the way I realized that it was fun to get better. I've tried to keep that joy in improvement with me, and the 2010 season (when I broke the American Record) was definitely an example of that. I don't subscribe to the thought that training is complete punishment. I have to enjoy the process, and luckily I've stumbled upon people that have helped me remember that over my whole career.

The 2010 season taught me a lot about focus, and that's a lesson I've tried to remind myself of in recent years. I graduated from Purdue in 2009 and moved to San Diego, where the only thing I had to do was train to throw the javelin with an awesome new training partner and coach, and my long-time boyfriend (now husband Russ) by my side. It was a perfect situation for a new college graduate who had been sleep-deprived and procrastination-prone for five years of school, and the focus I had really showed in that first post-collegiate season. Allowing myself to focus whole-heartedly on something shows me good results! That can be true of anyone. You just have to be brave enough to believe in yourself.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us about your training in the sport of your specialization that helped you in your achievements in the world of javelin throw?

Ms. Kara Winger: Training for the javelin can be really normal, and also very strange. When I go home to visit my family and get my workouts in public gyms, sometimes I have to do things that I always fear will show up on the internet as "gym fails!" I do a lot of stability exercises for every area of my body (elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, core and back) in the hope that it will stand up to the extreme impacts I put it through in throwing.

Shoulder flexibility is really important, coupled with back stability. I do a lot of conditioning in the Fall in the form of jumping circuits, running at various distances and intensities, and bike workouts. Many people think that javelin throwing is only about your arm, but it is truly a full-body movement, and I've learned to love improving each area of my body to eke out every inch that I can.

I tore my left ACL in 2012, and the rehabilitation from that surgery has truly helped me understand and use my legs better! One thing that I think I've really excelled at in my career is overcoming injury. I've had quite a few injuries, but am very proud of the way I've used each one to focus on daily work that improves my fitness in bigger ways than I expect. Specific, seemingly small exercises are often overlooked in athletics and fitness in general, but can make big impacts in the way all of your body parts work together!

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?

Ms. Kara Winger: I really love balance exercises. I did a lot of balance work while recovering from my ACL surgery, and I continue to incorporate it regularly. Any kind of balance work is great for your glutes! All kinds of lunges are also awesome, and my favorite (and great for the glutes).

Right now, I'm spending a ton of time on a stationary bike, as I recover from left shoulder surgery. I've always used bike interval workouts as a supplementary conditioning tool (when I'm injured, like now), so I've never felt truly comfortable doing them. They're always, always challenging. But this year, my added hours on the bike have me feeling really fit! I can push through difficult workouts better than I've ever been able to, and I truly feel that the bike forces you to work on your mental focus. You can't get away from the challenge when you're stuck on the bike, so you face it head-on and get better. It has been really fun to improve in new ways!

A lot of women want better abs, so I'll share my favorite, quick ab routine: 2x2-minute abs. Pick six different core exercises (for example: V-ups, leg lifts, toe touchers, crunches, flutter kicks, and seated twists), and do them straight through for 20 seconds each (2 minutes total). Rest 1 minute, then repeat! The second set is always much harder, but that's the point. Focus on form first rather than speed, then work up to as many reps of each exercise in each 20-second bout as you can. You can pick new exercises every day! The variety is what I love about this.

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