Dana Way is a Biomechanist and a veteran member of Canada’s national Athletics team. He has attended four Olympic Games, one Paralympic Games, five World Championships in Athletics, and several other major games and championships. Dana’s position on these national teams was not as a coach or an athlete but as a biomechanist (biomechanics is essentially physics with the human body). His role is to work with coaches to help them identify how to make athletes better, what kinds of things are making them worse, and how they can maximize their performance.
Every day Dana has the opportunity to work with some of the best athletes and coaches in the world. In our conversation, we learn about Dana’s experiences and discuss the importance of trust in building relationships, the importance of knowing your role when the stakes are high, and how to retain a sense of awe, gratitude, and excitement when extraordinary things (like seeing a world championships 100m final) are at risk of seeming mundane.
