Adam Callister

www.facebook.com/adam.callister

Reason for choosing this sport	"When I was a kid I used to rollerblade a lot, but then after [the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City] my mum's friend suggested I try out speed skating. My mum dragged me against my will to come do this and I hated it. After the first day I was so glad to be done. I thought it was just a one-time thing. What I didn't know was my mum had the whole month paid for."
When and where did you begin this sport?	He took up short track in 2003 in Utah, United States of America.

Memorable sporting achievement	Winning bronze in the 3000m relay at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. (Athlete, 03 Nov 2018)
Most influential person in career	His mother. (Athlete, 03 Nov 2018)
Hero / Idol	US basketball player John Stockton. (Athlete, 03 Nov 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"[Competing in short track] is an experience that really pushes you and helps you find out your weaknesses and your strengths. It really gets the blood going when you go into one race then the next weekend you're racing again." (teamusa.org, 19 Oct 2021)
Other information	COMPETITIVE BREAK, COACHING In 2019 he decided to take a break from short track. Speed skating coach Mitch Whitmore then asked if Callister would become his assistant, and Callister went on to coach Colombian speed skater Diego Amaya at the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. "I just wasn't enjoying the sport [short track]. [Speed skating] is a very similar sport, but even though there are similarities in the two sports there are subtleties I had to learn. Luckily Mitch was able to help me with that. I was under the assumption that Mitch was going to go [to Lausanne], but I ended up going. Mitch was Diego's primary coach. I was along for the ride. I just had one skater whereas another coach could have so many more than that. I look at coaches now like, how do you handle a whole team of people who are freaking out? I'm eager to compete internationally again. It's been two years [speaking in October 2021]." (teamusa.org, 19 Oct 2021)