Pancakes And Peanut Butter? Whatever Works, Para Long Jumper Trenten Merrill Is Ready To Try

As two-time Paralympian Trenten Merrill packs up his bags for this month’s World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, he’s doing so with a different mindset than previous competitions.

Now 33 years old, he’s much more at ease — even his vocal delivery is calmer these days — and ready to adapt to whatever the weather in Paris may be, or whoever is going up against him in the long jump pit.

“I’m at a different point in my career, sort of like heading into the masters phase with the long jump,” Merrill said.

The Southern California native won a bronze medal in the long jump at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, after finishing just off the podium in fourth place at Rio 2016. Now he’s one of 45 U.S. athletes taking part in the world championships one year before the City of Light hosts the next Paralympic Games. The world championships will run from July 8-17.

After competing on the Saddleback College and Azusa Pacific University track teams as a Para athlete, Merrill transitioned into Para competition and made his world championships debut in 2015. He’s won a medal in his two trips to the world meet — though it came in that first year as a member of the 4x100-meter team. His primary focus is the long jump.

Coached by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Joaquim Cruz, Merrill has enjoyed a strong season so far.

He won the long jump T64 at May’s U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships in Chula Vista, California, with an Americas record mark of 7.63 meters. He will next compete on July 14, a day he’s had circled on the calendar for quite some time after being forced to change up his training since winning Paralympic bronze.

It’s been a different type of season for Merrill thus far — one about training smarter rather than harder after dealing with hamstring tendinitis all of last year. Rather than go, go, go, he’s been picking and choosing days he will train at a high-intensity level, and learning to adapt as necessary.

“This year has been more about refining and exchanging sprinting mechanics and what can I do when my hamstring is bothering me and how hard can I go when I’m not feeling it,” he explained.  

This has also meant a larger focus on improving his mindset and emotional intelligence both in practice and competition, including jotting down notes as he tries to become more self-aware of the differences between his good days and bad days.

As a long jumper, entrepreneur, investor and model, he’s addicted to learning in and out of competition. Everyone has a different process and rate of learning, he believes, and therefore he doesn’t want to put specific timelines or pressure on himself. Merrill is approaching the masters level and is embracing the unconventional, from fueling himself with peanut butter on his pancakes to training in the pouring rain.

“It really is a game changer when you can understand whether it’s a good or bad practice day mentally, as you can then figure out how to still always achieve the same goal without putting so much pressure on yourself,” he said.

Merrill, who grew up surfing, playing soccer and riding dirt bikes on the West Coast before having his right leg amputated after a dirt bike accident, has been reminiscing of those days recently to help improve his mental state in the long jump pit.

“When I went surfing, I’d fall down all the time but would leave so excited about the one ride that was the best. Because I was focused on the positive ride, every time I went back to surf I would get better and better,” he said. “I’ve been able to relate that to my jumping and has taken me on a more positive mental health journey this year.

“If you can pick just one good thing about that day and leave happy and stoked about it, you’re going to be so much better off.”