1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Axelina Johannsen (Nebraska Track and Field Thrower): May 4th, 10am

Episode Date: May 5, 2022

Freshman thrower from Hok, Sweden with the second best throw in Husker HistoryHas been told she was talented from a young age and didn't believe the people telling herWhat does Nebraska offer that led you to choosing Nebraska?Difference between Sweden and the USA/NebraskaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the Coppull Chevrolet GMC Studios, here is your host, Derek Pearson, presented by Beatrice Bakery on 93-7 The Ticket and The Ticket FM.com. Welcome to one-on-one on a Wednesday. We thank you guys for hanging out with us, and we've got a good one today. So buckle up. 4-2-464-5-6-85. Sardahamundt's text on Honda, Lincoln Hotline, if you want to add to the conversation, if you've got questions. The Sartarhaman video stream is up, so you can see us live.

The streaming is up. Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and now Twitter Live. Twitter Live. Look what we've done. Look what we've done. Again, lots to talk about. But I think the undercurrent of success that's happening with the track and field program is purposeful and it's intended.

And in doing so, they've created an international market, kind of a train that takes folks from high-quality programs internationally to Lincoln, Nebraska. Having done so, from Hoax, Hoke Sweden, I got it right? Yeah. I got it right. From Hoke Sweden. And look, she's exceptional.

She's been excelling in these meats, one of the premier young throwers in the NCAA, number two currently best performance in the shot put for women here at the University of Nebraska. She's a freshman. We're going to have her for a while or as long as she'll have us. Let's bring back and welcome Axelina Johansson. How are you?

Thank you once again for doing this. Yeah, of course. Thank you for having me. And you've exhaled. So that's half the battle is your first time in getting that first to exhale where you can relax and you know, it's not awful. Yeah. It's not terrible.

It's not terrible at all. Okay, so let's go through. You said on old school that you knew pretty early that you were talented. I mean. When did you know? People would tell me. Okay. So you didn't believe them, which is part of the ambition and motivation that we're

going to talk about later. Not acknowledging your greatness is where ambition comes from. But when did people start to tell you that you were talented and gifted? maybe when I was 15. 15? Around that, 16. Okay. I was qualifying for the under 18 European championship.

And like that year I just changed to rotational technique from glide. And it takes like two years to change the technique, I would say, to get like used to it. And yeah, I qualify for the competition in six months. So you said that so casually that you qualified for a world caliber event with six months of adjustment. That's, again, that's some superhero stuff. That's some superhero stuff. That doesn't happen that way. There's so much technically that we can talk about what you do.

And there's zero chance that we can get through all the things that we need to talk about in one sitting. So let's just accept that going in. We can't cover everything. because I want to get into the work that you put in. You talked about you just mentioned Glyde technique, which to your shot put level and standard is important because there are different ways that you can throw. Yeah.

One requires better lower half work, better stability, all of its core work, and then footwork, which is the lost element in shot put. so why did you choose glide over what you were doing before no I do rotational you do rotational now instead of glide yes what does that allow you to do so I'm not like I'm taller than an average woman okay how tall are you 5-9 okay but I'm not that tall like if you look at throwers so yeah the world's they showed you guys side by side yeah and there was the one black woman she looked like

She was like six, five. Yeah, there's a lot of big girls. And glide is for more tall people. Okay. And the rotational is for more shorter, but explosive people. So, yeah, I just, I don't know. My coach was like, yeah, you should do a rotation now. I was like, yeah, sure.

Is that just more, more momentum? Yeah. Or focused more momentum? Yeah, you like build up speed in the ring. Okay. instead of glide is more like strength. Just power from one point, from point A to point B. Yeah, exactly.

Again, the workouts that you have to put in change because you have to make sure that all of your body parts function at the same strength levels. Yeah. And that's difficult to do. Now, for the person who says, I'm not very good at squats. Literally, you're better at squats than everybody listening. And most of the people you compete with. So how much work do you put into just connecting your body parts to that they work together?

Yeah. I mean, I walk out. I lived in the gym four times a week and throwing four times a week. And I have been doing that for, yeah, since I was 16, maybe, 17. So, I mean, I have spent a lot of hours working out. And I mean, I'm a perfectionist. So I want everything to be like as good as it can be. That became obvious immediately.

Yeah. That as a freshman, you throw in the shot farther than all but one person, one woman in the history of the Rask athletics. And then apparently not satisfied with it. I want to do better, yeah. What do you think the max is for you? Like, what do you think you could do? Like, if you tied everything together perfectly,

right wow yeah i think that's so hard to save um i mean i in your head what do you think you like in the perfect throw how far i can't yeah on a perfect throw good i don't want to say a number but i mean i i still have things to work on technically and if i compare myself to the girls that are throwing further than me i'm not very strong so i would say my biggest potential is to get stronger how much stronger are they I mean, they are girls squatting 200 kilos. Oh, what is that? 450 maybe.

But maybe they aren't as quick as you are. Yeah, but still, if you are strong, you can move faster. Okay. And it's the speed. Is it lower body strength or upper body strength? Or both? I would say it's both. Okay.

Yeah. So how much stronger do you think you have to be? if you're working out with 245 pounds on the bench, if that's your max, where do you think you need to be? What's the standard? Good. I don't know if pounds,

but I would like to do 130 kilos. Okay. 2.2? Is that the, is that the... 286? 286. Okay, so that puts you in the elite category. Now, you're already in the elite standing, though.

Like, nationally, you're, you're, you're, You're in the top 15. Yeah. Almost top 10? In the nation right now. Yeah. Yeah. I ranked fourth.

Four. Never mind. So as a freshman. Yeah. Exilina, come on. As a freshman, that's deep water. Yeah, I know. But I don't know.

I just always want to be as best as I can be, and I feel like I can do better. I mean, I have bigger goals. Like my goals is not to be. the best in answer ever, you know. Well, you want to be the best of the world. Yeah. You want to be an Olympic champion. So I got to get better.

What does Nebraska offer that of all the places you could go, you chose Nebraska. What do they offer? Actually, I signed with North Dakota State University first. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sorry. Wow. I don't know. But when I was looking at college, I wanted to go to a coach.

good coach a coach that has shown improvement that's like on his athletes and yeah i found that just in st clair my coach now has that but then he called me was like hey um i got an offer from nebraska do you want to come with me and i was like yeah thanks what did you know about nebraska was he mentioned it. Nothing. That's the norm. That is the norm. So that's not a problem.

He told me that they have like better. It's better with the food and better facilities. And I mean, the weather is better too. So it's for an upgrade. What is the weather? So the weather is similar to home. Yeah.

Like it's actually warmer there today that it is here. Yeah. Yeah. I would say the weather is pretty much similar. But the wind here is waste. stronger than back home. The wind as, yeah, you've got, yeah,

you've got protection there. You don't have it here. Yeah. The wind owns everything here. Yeah. So, again, we're talking to Excellina at Johansen from Nebraska track, one of the premier top four

women shot putters in the country. And the journey here, how did they, how did coaches find you in Sweden? Was it from international events? Yeah, I don't know what it. I mean, I think they're looking at list and stuff like a ranking list and stuff.

like that okay uh and then usually they just slide into dms and be like hey are you interested to come to my school that is so funny that is so funny to me that is so funny to me like how do you deal with that like just randomly like okay and sometimes they'll tell you hey this is the university and this is where we stand um but that's got to be a little weird to have like when i got the first matches i got like from a coach i was like oh my god this is so cool like I'm actually good enough to go to college, you know. So, I don't know. Every time I got an offer, I go just happy.

Are there colleges in Sweden that you could do this there with as well? Yeah, it is, but it's not, it's very different from here. Okay. So back at home, the school, first of all, the school is free. So we don't need to pay anything to go college. How about that? Yeah. And, let's see, like, we can't school and track is more separate.

Okay. So you got to do the training outside the school. Okay. While here it's combined. Like the school helps you to do both school and track. So yeah. How can the University of Nebraska help you with the things that you need to be to excel so you said you got to go home for christmas you'll go home once

the summer it is a full task 18 hours each way to go and do this so it's not easy and it certainly can't be cheap so how how can the university help with that i mean that's a part of your decision staying home or going to the middle of america yeah uh to do this thing like that's got to be part of the decision, right? Yeah. I mean, I have a good support. Okay. From school. And I mean, it helps a lot just that we get the food done.

Like we can just go to dining hall and get the food. Yeah. That saves a lot of money and a lot of time, especially. Through this, you have to have noticed the differences between home and Nebraska. Yes. What are the differences that come to mind? first. Wow. I can tell you when I first come here, the culture

shock was insane. I know it would be different, but this different no, I had no idea. What's different? Just the way you people are. I don't know. In Sweden, we are very introvert and

yeah, I noticed that right away. I said I knew I was going to have to pull the smile and laughter out Because in the conversations, I'm like, she's nervous. This is not comfortable. Yeah. But here, like, you guys talk a lot. Then I don't know.

But you're also very, very kind. Like, you're offering to help out and stuff like that. And I don't know. Yeah. I mean, the fans here, like, you've gone. So had you gone to a football game before you got here? No. This was the first time.

It's so cool. Yeah, right? It's like, we have to tell you, it's not this way everywhere. It's not this way. They don't have 90,000 at North Dakota State. Like, they like to think they do. Oh, no. Do you go to other sporting events?

Yeah, I've been to a lot of different games. The volleyball, tennis, swimming. What's your favorite thing about Lincoln, Nebraska? I would say that, Like, everything's very connected. Like, it's very close to everything. And it's like a family, if you can say that. Like, everyone loves Nebraska.

Yeah. You know. Once you wear the gear, you're pretty popular. Yeah. Like, you don't have to ask for much. Describe to us hometown. What's, what's Hoke like? Hoke is in the middle of nowhere.

Really in the middle of nowhere. Like, people say, link it's in the middle of nowhere no no um it's 90 i suggest 90 inhabitants 90 yeah like it's i mean it's very very small like that's oh my god 90 people yeah and and like how many kilometers radius like what's the next closest town like is there a close is a town close by i mean closest to the biggest city is 40 kilometers okay okay so you can go and find people

if you yeah yes but you gotta go somewhere yeah and like there's not so many buses from that small town so you get like you need a car restaurants oh no we don't have any restaurants

no we gotta make our own food so what would you make on a day what would you make at home um so i my favorite food is like a vegetarian patty you have soya meat okay and uh garlic sun-dried tomatoes feta cheese okay okay uh what else i may put in something else but just make a pat of that and eat it with oh what do i eat it in I don't know, whatever. Do you cook it? Do you cook it? Yeah.

Grill it? Yeah. In a pan. In a pan. Okay. Yes. And then. And then.

So I know that bread is a thing. And it's important. Are the bread similar? No. You guys only have white bread here. Like you have no healthy bread at all. Right. So do you make your own bread here?

Have you made your own bread here? No. Since, okay, so I'm living in the dorms. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's the sound. I'm moving out in two weeks, so I'm looking for that.

You're done. There you go. I'm so down with the dorm. There you go. So I can't really make my own food. Do folks from home send you food? Do they send you bread? No.

I mean, I eat what you have here. Yeah, but it's not. But I'm going to make my own food. See, you finally get to do that. You finally get to do that. Yeah, that's so funny to me. People forget, I mean, aside from the academic workload. and the athletic workload.

And then you're like a superhero, so you've got extra workload that you impose on yourself. But then there's the cultural and the nutritional differences, and it's there. Tell us about the parents who produced this superhuman woman and sent her to Lincoln, Nebraska. Are they athletes? My dad played soccer when he was younger.

My mom, she was not allowed to do. any sport. She came from like a really Christian family. So her dad was like no, I guess she's not. Like he's very, very old. Like my my grandpa was born

1990. No, 191919. 1919. Yeah, like a very old man. From a small town like a million. So my mom have always been like yeah, my kids should do whatever they want. Like they if they want to do a sport they should do it like she have been so supportive uh with that and i mean it was 40 kilometers

to my practice every like you know four times a week just draw back and forth like after when she finished the work she hurried up home so she could grab up me and then drove back to the city like yeah it's amazing how many student athlete stories no matter where you are in the world come from parents sacrificing and making that sort of effort through that. Any sisters, brothers? I have two younger brothers. Mm-hmm. Athletes?

No. I mean, they did some sports when they were younger. Like, my, what are called? One of my brother did, we call it orientating. It's like, I don't think you have it here. You run in the woods with a map basically looking for stations. Wow. Okay. Now I need to know more about this. Yeah. And my youngest brother, he have done so many sports, but he like didn't really find anything that he liked.

And have they been, have they visited? Have they been here to see where you live and what this is? Is that, is that on the list of things that you guys want to do? Is that possible? Yeah. My family is planning to come here in the fall, 2023. I think when my youngest brother has graduated. from high school. And you don't get the traditional time off because track is year-round. Yeah. Yeah. So when the nationals is done here, I'm going.

Like, my season is still going. I mean, I have my nationals in August. And the European champions is also in August. So the nationals, and again, that's still important to your national standing there because that allows you to seat up for Olympic trials. that sort of stuff. I mean, it's not really the same as you guys have here. Okay.

Because Sweden is such a small country. So it's only me and another girl. It's one girl less strength further than me in Sweden. And you can qualify by your work, not by a competition. Yeah, exactly. So if I take in the standard. What's the Olympic standard currently in shopper, for women? 1850.

So you're right in the neighborhood. Yeah. You're right in the neighborhood. Yeah. So we're talking to our future Olympian. I hope so. Right? And then we can look at gold medals and world championships and those things.

This is going to be one heck of a journey for you. Yeah. And here's the thing. I'm so grateful and appreciative that you would come and make time and do this. I'm going to bug you to come back. Yeah, I would love to do this. Like all the time. And there's so many, you and your teammates, we have several track parents who listen to the station,

listen to the show. and I'm building the network of people who we can have a weekly track and field conversation you guys are busy but we have to find a weeknight where we can do it and I think you telling the stories your journey your work ethic you sharing your workouts with people your nutritional stuff that's all stuff that folks want to hear and I guarantee you you make quite a few new fans today

folks that are now going to be slightly more interested and intrigued by track and feel they're going to be looking out for you. So what's the next big meet for you guys? What are you doing? We have conference in two weeks. Okay. So that's the closest one.

And then we have regionals the week after that. And then, yeah, it's only nationals if we qualify for that in the middle of July. And you can qualify individually? Yeah. So you expect to be busy for the next few months. Yeah. Oh, that's good news. Look, that sort of representation is where people start to stand up.

And it will help us draw more awareness to the track and field team. Because if you're competing at that level, having that kind of success, folks are going to follow and they're going to show up for you. So look, you're going to be a star in this. See, it wasn't nearly as awful as you thought it was going to do. No, it was fine. So, again, thank you for doing this. I know you got stuff to do.

I'm going to have Mark. We'll work on what we need to do for this. for getting you back there. We're not allowing you to get on the bus. That's not going to happen here. But yeah, you made some fans today. Thank you for doing this. Thank you for having me.

We'll do more. That's actually, and we'll do more with her coming up. We're not letting her get away. She's got too much to say, and she should be known. So with where to break, more 101, we'll come back.

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