For some athletes, the competitive spirit never dies, and for New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI), Colt Basketball Head Coach Connor Williamson is no different. After qualifying in early June, Williamson will represent the United States and compete in the World Masters Athletics Gothenburg Championships 2024 decathlon in Sweden from Aug. 13 through 25.
As a Roswell native, Williamson is an NMMI alum. He played basketball in high school and at the junior college level for the Colts and the Broncos. His father, Clyde Williamson, was his assistant coach with the Colts. His father also coached at Roswell High School for 20 years basketball and soccer.
After NMMI, Williamson moved to Arizona and acquired a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Arizona State University. During his master’s program, Williamson trained in pole vault with an ASU professor, who has the set up in his backyard. After getting his master’s, Williamson wanted to keep up his athletics and started seaching for answers. Figuring he was a good overall athlete, he wanted to compete in decathlons and heptathlons.
Decathlon is 10 track and field events condensed over two days of competition.
Williamson began training at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, for decathlons post-college. From 2017 through 2018, he competed in the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500-meter run. In the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Outdoor Championship in May of 2018, Williamson placed third with 6345 points and first placed in the year 2017. Williamson said that even as a coach, he still has that desire to be an athlete individually.
“I still wanted to be an athlete,” Williamson said. “I think many athletes have a hard time transitioning to coach because you are not competing anymore. I still needed my own kind of individual outlet to compete.”
As an early 30s athlete, Williamson posted his personal best in the decathlon with a score of 7566 at the John Green/Texas Greatest Athlete Invitational in June 2021 in Dallas, Texas. This beat out his second-best attempt at the Joe Meaker Classic at the West Texas A&M University Track and Soccer Complex in April of the same year.
For the competition in Sweden, Williamson trains at the Wool Bowl for his events, training five days a week, sometimes doing double sessions.
“I usually two [double sessions] off during the week, where I have a hard lift, then some running as well as some event work,” Williamson said. “I don’t do as much event-specific practice anymore, I just try to work on my speed. As long as I’m fast, strong, mobile and uninjured. Oh, and a lot of recovery trying to keep my body fresh because the training takes a toll.”
At the moment, Williamson is battling a strain in his soleus muscles and said he’s trying to get it under control.
“As long as I’m healthy, I’ve got a really good chance to win,” Williamson said.
To help with his travel expenses, Williamson and his wife, Tasha, started a GoFundMe with a goal of $5,000. So far, the couple has raised nearly $1,600 toward their goal to represent the United States and New Mexico internationally. As a child, Williamson said he dreamt of wearing an official Team USA jersey. For his athletes back home, he had a few words for those who want to set goals in their athletics or vocation.
“I think a good quote is that if you shoot for the moon, you can land among the stars,” Williamson said. “That’s kind of where I feel like right now. I’ve always set lofty goals and haven’t always reached that end point, but it’s always got me to good places. So, my advice is just to set their goals and go for them. That is how I’ve ended up here.”
