March 18, 2021
What: Zoom Call with hurdling legend Renaldo Nehemiah
When: Sunday April 11th from 3 pm – 4:30 pm.
Cost: $15
To Register: Click here to pay with debit/credit via PayPal, or you can send payment directly
or via Cash App to $StevenMcGill. Upon receipt of payment, I will send the Zoom call link to the email address you used to pay. (If I don’t send it until later in the day, that’s because I’m probably teaching or coaching. If you don’t receive the link within 24 hours of payment, then email me at smcgill@hurdlesfirst.com).
Who is Renaldo Nehemiah?
Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah, arguably the greatest high hurdler in history, broke the world record twice in 1979 as a sophomore at the University of Maryland, running 13.16 and then 13.00. Two years later, in 1981, he became the first hurdler to break the 13.00 barrier with a 12.93 in Zurich, Switzerland. After not being able to compete in the 1980 Olympic Games due to the American boycott, Nehemiah turned to professional football, where he played four years with the San Francisco 49ers, and was on their 1984 Super Bowl team. He returned to track in 1986 and remained one of the best hurdlers in the world, although injuries sustained during his football career prevented him from returning to his previous level of dominance. In his post-athletic career, Nehemiah has gone on to have an equally impressive career as an athlete agent who has represented some of track and field’s greatest performers, including hurdlers Allen Johnson, Mark Crear, Perdita Felicien, and sprinter Justin Gatlin.
Nehemiah Biography in the Works
In 2019, Nehemiah and I began collaborating on a biography of his life. I have currently finished about 65% or so of the first draft, and plan to have it done by July or August, which means the book will be published sometime in 2022. As we look to generate interest in the book, Nehemiah and I will do a series of Zoom calls in which we discuss topics that will be detailed in the book. This first Zoom on April 11 will focus on his training methods and the development of his hurdling technique as a high school athlete in Scotch Plains, NJ. We are expecting that his high school coach (and a major mentor of mine) Jean Poquette will be on the call, as well as high school teammate Joe Guty. So if you want to join us for what will most certainly be an informative, educational, and enjoyable session, please sign up by following the registration guidelines above. Hope to see you all there!
