We asked Marshall a few questions to find out what he gets up to at King’s College and what it’s like to represent the country.
How long have you worked at King’s and what is your role?
Marshall Hall: I’ve been a part of the King’s family since the beginning of Term 1. I work within Selwyn as a House Tutor. I also coach the discus throwers during the athletics season and help out with basketball.
What got you into discus?
MH: I got into discus at a young age after initially registering to compete in athletics at age 4 through the encouragement of my parents and older sisters. I played basketball all through school but after having surgery done for a serious back injury when I was 19, I was told I shouldn’t play basketball anymore. It was then that I decided to continue with discus and train seriously for it. I was always good at the event due to my height (6”8’) and having reasonably long levers - I found success relatively quickly.
I love the idea of competing in an individual sport because what you achieve is down to you and you don’t have to rely on an entire team to perform. I also enjoy that the sport is measurable. Everything I do in training is measurable and when I compete I am measured on distance. I also enjoy the travel, which is a big perk for working hard.
What’s it like representing the country and being an eight-time NZ champion?
MH: Representing New Zealand at the highest level has been a dream of mine for a long time. A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into earning my black singlet. Hopefully I’ll be able to pull it on again at next year’s Commonwealth Games.
It was a very proud moment walking out in to a stadium of 70,000 at the World Championships and it was cool to share the stadium floor with the likes of Usain Bolt and Mo Farah. Being the current and eight-time New Zealand champion is something that is very special to me, each title I win I’ll cherish. It’s a nice feeling knowing you’re top in the country for something.
