About Martin

Hammer Thrower

Attorney
Basic Facts 

  • Sport: Track and Field
  • Event: Hammer Throw
  • Personal Best: 67.70 meters (222′ 1″)
  • Height: 6’ 2″ (186cm)
  • Weight: 247 lbs. (112kg)
  • Birthday: 16 August 1983
  • Current Residence: Zurich, Switzerland

My Team

Accomplishments

  • Swiss national champion in 2009 and 2010.
  • Swiss national team member from 2007 to present.
  • Ranked as high as 91st in the world by the International Association of Athletic Federations.
  • Two-Time NCAA All-American at the University of Washington.
  • Placed 6th at the 2007 NCAA Championships.
  • NCAA West Regional Championships Runner-Up.
  • Ranked 8th all-time in Switzerland.
 Basic Facts 

  • Occupation: International Tax Attorney
  • Job Title: Head of Tax
  • Employer: UBS Swiss Financial Advisers AG
  • Member: American Bar Association, New York State Bar, Washington State Bar

Education

More Information

Biography
My athletic career began at Interlake High School in Bellevue, Washington where I participated in track and field, football, and tennis. While I had modest success in the shot put and discus, no college recruiters called. I also had even less success in the classroom, where I had failed several classes and was unmotivated to succeed. Both my athletic and academic success improved when I found the hammer throw. The hammer throw is rarely contested in America, and by beginning the event as a youth, I was able to attract the attention of college coaches. I was also able to earn admission to a university, where I finally met some inspirational professors that finally challenged me to also succeed in the classroom. 

In college, I developed into one of the top hammer throwers in America. I competed for the team for four seasons and earned several awards, including two All-American honors. In 2007, I placed sixth at the NCAA Championships during my final competition for the University. I also won the scholar athlete award for having the highest grades among any student-athlete at the school. After my eligibility expired, I continued to train in Seattle while finishing law school.

During the 2008 season, I was selected to join the Swiss National Team and represented them at the European Cup in Istanbul. I also earned my law degree in 2008 and decided to move to Kamloops, British Columbia to train full-time with Dr. Bondarchuk. I also accepted a job as a tax attorney in the Seattle area and travelled back and forth between training and work as I continued to compete for the Swiss national team and won my first Swiss national championship.

While I learned significantly from my time in Kamloops, the constant travel was too much and I accepted a job in Zurich in 2010 as the head of tax for a U.S. investment adviser. The new job allows me the flexibility to continue my training and coach Bondarchuk continues to coach me from afar as I train towards the 2012 Olympics in London and 2014 European Championships in Zurich.

Community Service
As a student in high school I developed my first hammer throw website, HS Hammer.com, to help disseminate news, rankings, results, and other information concerning high school hammer throwers in America. Two years later I developed another website, College Hammer.com, which served the same purpose for collegiate throwers in America. At the same time I also collaborated with 1956 Olympic Gold Medalist Harold Connolly to develop Hammerthrow.org. Until his passing in 2010, Harold served as the USATF development coordinator for the hammer throw and he used the website to provide technical information about the hammer throw. I continue to run the site in his absence. Recently, I founded and serve as President and Chairman of the Evergreen Athletic Fund, a non-profit organization which all three sites are now part of. In addition to helping promote the throwing events online, the Evergreen Athletic Fund also works to help fund local elite throwers in their quest to reach the Olympics. 

I also have experience coaching the hammer throw and other throwing events. I have previously served as a coach and clinician at various clinics, the Ironwood throwing camp, and at the USATF Junior Elite Camp hosted by the Olympic Training Center. I have also volunteered as a coach for the Issaquah Parks Department’s Track Club (the Issaquah Gliders), the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, and LC Zürich.

I write frequently online about methods of hammer training and have also published articles in international coaching periodicals such as Modern Athlete and Coach and Track Coach.