Ian Paul Grech, 24 years of age, a peaceful and quiet guy, a Long and Triple Jumper but who does not disdain a fast sprint when it matters. This year, he enjoyed the best season of his career. Ian, a proud and staunch Pembroke Athleta athlete, a PE teacher by profession, fiance' of Claire Azzopardi, yet another local leading Jumper.

Ian, I am sure you have been interviewed countless times so my aim will be avoiding the usual questions. I cannot but ask you to highlight in brief your athletic career, how it started, at what age and how it developed? What were the resources at that time and nowadays?

I have always loved sports from a young age and athletics was a sport I always wanted to try. At age 7 my mother enrolled me with an athletics group and I used to participate in every fun run or road race which was organised. At the age of 12, the level started becoming more challenging and I won my first award in the local road running league. Having won my very first honour at the age of 13, I wanted to take track and field more seriously and decided to focus my energy on the Long Jump and Triple Jump. I joined Pembroke Athleta, and started training with one of Malta's finest coaches Jivko Jetchev. For the readers who might not know him, Jivko was a Bulgarian ex professional Pole Vaulter, with years of experience in the sport. Having said that, experience alone did not make him the most decorated coach on the island. His grandeur in stature, the vast knowledge, and pedigree in athletics might be overwhelming to some, still his gentle demeanor instantly had me look up to him as a shining example of what I imagined I could accomplish in my athletics career. Having looked up to him as my role model since my very first training session, twelve years have passed since that day. I can confidently say, that Jivko poured his life and soul into our training sessions; rain or shine, wind or heat, through thick and thin. Over this length of time, Jivko not only changed my training mentality, but the way I envisage my day to day tasks. He thought us never to do anything half measure, to give your all in whatever you do. Training, studies, career, even relationships!

Any athlete can tell you of the positive experiences he's had. But I believe that the negatives can make or break the athlete. This is where, my support system comes in, thanks to my club and coach's help I was able to stand strong again, all through these years. Without a shadow of a doubt, season 2017-2018 was the highlight of my athletics career, having managed to qualify and represent Malta at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, Championships Small States of Europe in Liechtenstein and European Championships in Berlin.

I trust that the majority of the athletes' dream is to represent Malta abroad in major competitions. Unfortunately, Malta top level in athletics is still lagging behind when compared to other countries. For unknown reasons, smaller countries have managed to improve considerably and nowadays they can battle it out against bigger countries. How is your state of mind prior to international competitions? You were among the top echelons of athletics whilst at the Commonwealth, how were your feelings?

It's always an honour wearing the Maltese colours, but it's also a big responsibility because wearing that kit means that you are representing each and every Maltese citizen. Representing Malta at different international competitions such as the European Championships and Commonwealth Games was already an achievement in itself. However, clearing a personal best of 7.43m whilst competing against some of the world's best jumpers was the cherry on the cake, and an experience which is impossible to forget. At the Commonwealth Games I placed 19th out of the 28 athletes participating, a result which I hold to high esteem, considering I was taking part against professional athletes from the likes of Jamaica, South Africa, England, Australia and more. If I'm honest, it would be unwise to compare ourselves with these country's athletes. Many of these athletes are grossly state-funded, train in luxurious complexes and have an entire entourage who allow the athlete in question, to focus his energy on those 6 jumps. Recently, it is clear to see that we do not fall behind in physical ability, but more work needs to be done before we can continuously fight for podium finishes. For example, competing in Malta against the very same opponents fifteen times a year becomes monotonous and gets tedious, which often leads to loosing motivation. From experience I feel that competing against other athletes abroad encouraged me, having said that having to travel around is awfully costly.

Ian, its common understanding that athletes need support and assistance both from the family and the Sports governing bodies. I can tell that you had a supportive family along this venture. Your mum, Rita used to officiate during the Athletic meetings at Marsa and your sister, Janice was an athlete too. Their understanding was almost by default and am sure their contribution was highly effective. What about the MAAA and MOC, two entities that you have to seek very frequently? What is their feedback? What can be improved and how?

As I mentioned earlier, my support system over the years has been incredibly strong, and without them I am sure that I would have never been at the level I am today. For that, I must thank them profusely. With regards our governing bodies I am of the opinion that they are acting fully within their capabilities. Allow me to explain; with minimal funds available and human resources in short supply and active volunteers, with families and jobs, nobody can make miracles. However, the surge in interest in athletics in general, and the overall level is encouraging. A year ago (2017) we were so very close to being promoted to the second league at the European Team championships, a feat that would never have been dreamt of. At time athletes, coaches and parents do complain about the state of things, yet we first must comprehend where these officials come from, before accusing them of negligence or inability. The promotion of sport and physical education is within my profession and nature. Starting off with the astounding promotion of practicing a sport (any sport) would be a great way to start!

You are now a mature adult, a teacher by profession and an established local elite athlete. When were the most difficult years of your life where you had to share time and energy between studies and your passion? Were there instances where you had to stop because of studies and proceeded after or you managed to cope with both? After all the sacrifices endured to combine both issues, are you of the idea that thanks to a good job, one can cope better with training later on in life?

Locally, I believe that time management is the key to success. At this is one of the reasons why I was able to train up to six times a week during my studies. Undoubtedly it was a continuous uphill struggle, but now that I have finished my studies, the difference almost feels immense. I can now afford to focus more time on athletics, so I began to venture abroad more frequently, and test my abilities abroad. Another local plausible weakness, and another reason why we simply cannot compare ourselves to foreign professional athletes, is the time spent on the sport. The top 50 jumpers in the world are able to focus and earn their money from athletics. On the other hand, resident athletes, must train before or after work. This year I spent a considerable amount of my own money to be able to train and compete at a higher level than previous years. I strongly believe that my personal bests are proof that with correct investment we will be able to pave the way forward.

Sports and sponsors go together. At least sponsors alleviate the total running cost of regular technical wear and runners. Athletics, as of lately has seen quite a positive surge for individual athletes. Did you manage to enjoy such support? How difficult is it for a jumper to compete in this regard with a sprinter? Sprinter attracts more. Do you agree?

I think that being a sponsored athlete will help anyone both financially and mentally because annual expenses could easily rise to a couple of thousands. Between gym memberships, massages, sportswear, travels, a healthy diet, the list can go on. Unfortunately, this year I was unsuccessful in acquiring such support, but it would definitely help. I agree that the sprint events are exciting and as a result popular, however through my ventures abroad long jump has become increasingly popular and attracting a lot of promising athletes and fans.

Ian, long jump is quite a technical event and it needs precision especially where it comes the touchline prior to the leap and even the landing. There are precious cms at stake! There are various instances when the leaps are of great measurement but you touch the line by a whisker. Here it comes your mental strength, what about this? How do you manage to eliminate that instant frustration post a no measure jump and start afresh for the next jump?

As you correctly mentioned the long jump (as well as the triple jump) is one of the most technical events there are. With a run up of 40m, it is imperative that you step on the same spot every time, yet external factors continually make it harder and more challenging. The environment and the wind play big roles in the jumps. If the wind is constantly changing, the run up will also need to change. Luckily, my coach will be there to change and adjust it fitting the situation. Keeping patient and calm helps me keep mentally focused on the jump, especially when I start the competition with a foul jump. These things unfortunately do happen and it wouldn't be the first time my competition starts off with two foul jumps! On a better note, one good jump can make all the difference and could ultimately win the competition.

Ian, you are still very young and I trust that the best has yet to come. The upcoming season is going to be another interesting one for you in particular because you qualified for the GSSE 2019 at Montenegro. Needless to say, this is going to be another golden opportunity and showcase to perform and assess your abilities against International Elite Athletes. It is common knowledge that the true value of a local athlete comes when competing abroad.  Being realistic, which goals are you aiming for this year throughout the entire season and at the GSSE?

As an athlete, I look at my past, evaluate and plan the future. Last year was an eventful one, competing in 9 international competitions, 3 of them representing Malta in 3 major track and field events. This year's plan is to take the big step in aiming at higher standards.

GSSE 2019 is going to be the highlight of the season, representing Malta against other small states of Europe in Montenegro. The reason why GSSE is exciting is because we travel as a national team representing Malta in different sports. I have already qualified in Long Jump however my aim is to reach the qualification standard for the triple jump and also be part of the relay team. In last GSSE edition I managed to get a bronze medal in the triple jump and my goal for this year's edition is to get 2 medals.

Apart from GSSE there are other competitions which I am really working hard for in order to achieve the qualification standard. First major international competition of the season would be the European Indoor Championships in March. In August, my aim is to represent my country at the European Team Championships and as a national team we have to focus and unite together to give our best to reach the promotion which we have missed last year by 0.5 points. The biggest goal would be representing Malta at the World Championships in Qatar.

This season is quite a long one, so my coach and I have to be wise and plan accordingly in order to achieve my goals.

Ian, your level of commitment is commendable indeed. You take Athletics very seriously and that's why results are proving you right. 17 years and counting of athletics you are consistently striving to improve your performances. Kudos indeed.