Coach Jim In The Media

EJ OBIENA: PARIS 2024, HERE I COME!

Published July 3, 2023

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA proved true to himself in Stockholm on Sunday (Monday morning in Manila) by clearing 5.82 meters not only to clinch silver behind world record holder Armand Duplantis but more importantly clinch a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics…

LOOK BEHIND THE LABEL

Published May 10, 2023

So many of us love our labels. Or we seek to attain a certain label. “Social influencer” or “CEO” or “Director” or “Doctor”. We love our labels and we draw often immediate conclusions. Especially in hiring and recruiting…

EJ CONQUERS ROUBAIX

Published January 29, 2023

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA clinched gold at the Perche En Or men’s indoor competition in Roubaix in France on Sunday with a 5.82-meter effort that primed himself for a potential second consecutive Olympics appearance in Paris next year…

INTRODUCING: TEAM EJ OBIENA

Published November 14, 2022

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA’S quest for the men’s pole vault gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics goes full throttle with his very own Team EJ now in place…

EJ OBIENA'S MENTOR SAYS ISSUES ON PAYMENT TO COACH STEMS FROM 'BROKEN SYSTEM'

Published December 14, 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The mentor of Tokyo Olympian EJ Obiena believes that the issues regarding the payment of coaches surfaced only because the system currently being used by Philippine athletics is broken.

FAMOUS ATHLETES WHO HAVE TRANSFORMED THEIR LIVES

Published December 6, 2018

Over the course of time, there have been many athletes who have transformed their lives and have inspired people to achieve great things in life. These professionals have personified the term inspiration as their careers have helped millions of people feel the urge to take control of their lives and aspire to be better and do better

SIGNS THAT YOU HIRED THE WRONG FITNESS TRAINER

Published December 2, 2018

Every human being is well aware of how a fitness trainer can help us develop the body of our dreams

THE INAUGURAL TBR CERTIFIED COACH PROGRAM

Published September 3, 2016

Since I started running in 2006, one of the biggest frustrations I’ve had over the years was witnessing how some runners who had a few years of experience of running under their belt and perhaps a medal here and there transformed themselves into “running coaches” practically overnight

HIGH HOPES FOR PH TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES IN RIO

Published July 20, 2016

The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) on Tuesday formally sent off the three athletes who will represent the country in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on August 5.

TORRES HOPES TO QUALIFY FOR LONG JUMP FINALS IN RIO

Published July 10, 2016

After dramatically qualifying for the long jump event in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Filipina track-and-field legend Marestella Torres is now hoping to at least make it to the finals of the competition in August.

KEY ELEMENTS FROM MY OTTAWA MARATHON TRAINING

Published May 30, 2015

Last Sunday I achieved a dream — running a Boston Qualifying (BQ) marathon. l clocked in at 3:30 hours during the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. 

WHEN DAVID OUTRUNS GOLIATH

Published March 3, 2015

In 1982, Richard “Dick” Beardsley took on a world record-holder in a race that changed how the world looked at marathon

MARATHON LEGEND TELLS FILIPINO RUNNERS: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Published February 24, 2015

It was the race that changed the sport of marathon all over the world. During the 1982 Boston Marathon, an unassuming farm boy from Minnesota took on the world’s no. 1 in a race now known in running history as the “Duel in the Sun.”

ASIAD PROSPECT: A PAIR OF LONG JUMPERS

Published September 19, 2014

For the second successive Asiad, long jumper Marestella Torres is Philippine athletics’s best bet to win a medal in the quadrennial games.

TORRES TAKES LAST TRIP TO INCHEON

Published August 28, 2014

Ace jumper Marestella Torres will be competing in the Incheon Asian Games, after all.

WHAT? ‘ADOPT AN OLYMPIAN’ PROGRAM HAS EASIER TIME FINDING CEO BACKERS THAN WILLING ATHLETES

Published August 5, 2014

WHAT? No takers? An American business executive who has launched a private sector initiative to financially support track and field athletes has found that getting sponsors is easier than finding athletes.

END OF AN ERA: GO TENG KOK STEPS DOWN AS PATAFA HEAD

Published July 25, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – Marking an end of an era in local athletics – and perhaps in Philippine sports as well – Go Teng Kok stepped down on Friday, July 25 after 24 years as president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association with former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Philip Ella Juico elected to the PATAFA top post.

AMERICAN EXECUTIVE’S LEAP OF FAITH BRINGS LONG JUMPER MARESTELLA TORRES CLOSER TO OLYMPIC MEDAL

Published May 23, 2014

Marestella Torres is taking the road less travelled in her journey to the Rio Olympics…

3 MORE TRACK ATHLETES GET ELITE US TRAINING

Published April 28, 2014

Decathlete Jesson Ramil Cid, steeplechaser Christopher Ulboc Jr. and long jumper Katherine Kay Santos have found a generous “godfather” for their respective bids to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics…

CORPORATE-MINDED COACH DREAMS OF OLYMPIC GOLD FOR THE PHILIPPINES

Published April 6, 2014

Corporate hot shot James Michael Lafferty stands by his creed: “Unleash your Passion.” And he wants to use it to help 20 Filipino athletes win Olympic medals.

PH COACH JAMES LAFFERTY URGES PHILIPPINE ATHLETES TO TRAIN SIGHTS ON OLYMPICS AND NOT ON SEA GAMES, ASIAD

Published April 3, 2014

For American track and field head coach James Lafferty, training for the Olympics and the Olympics alone is the only way to go. “Train for the Olympics and nothing else,” he said.

$1 A MONTH: US COACH TO TRAIN TORRES

Published April 3, 2014

For $1 a month, Marestella Torres got herself a world-class foreign coach and a whole lot more. American track and field coach James Michael Lafferty personally took the country’s long-jump queen under his care with an ambitious goal of producing a medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

WITH AN AMERICAN COACH AND TEAM OF EXPERTS, MARESTELLA TORRES EXPECTED TO HIT NEW HEIGHTS IN RIO OLYMPICS

Published April 2, 2014

For making the Olympic standard with meager resources and training, former Asian champion Marestella Torrres can be considered the top long jumper in the world, according to her new American coach.

RUNNING GROUPS: PUKE SESSIONS WITH JIM LAFFERTY AND THE PUKERS

Published September 17, 2013

Every Tuesday, I will be featuring Running Groups in Manila and possibly around the world. Let’s start this off with one very close to my heart as its led by my TBR Dream Marathon co-founder Jim Lafferty and started with a core group of TBR Dream Alumni.

EXPAT NURTURES THE FILIPINO DREAM FOR A FIRST OLYMPIC GOLD

Published June 16, 2013

Every Filipino athlete has dreamed of giving the country its first gold medal in the Olympics, a dream that was almost realized by boxer Mansueto Velasco had he not been robbed of the top honors in the 1996 Atlanta Games

BAT’S LAFFERTY: COACHING IS MY FIRST LOVE

Published June 3, 2013

When James Lafferty, the general manager of British American Tobacco Co. Philippines, talks about running, he really talks about work, desire  and life.

BULL RUNNER DREAM MARATHON MAKES RECORD

Published September 11, 2012

The Bull Runner Dream Marathon (TBRDM) has clocked a new record – selling out 750 slots within 48 minutes during its online registration held last Sept. 2.

OLYMPIC MARATHON: OBIEKWE AIMS HIGH

Published April 10, 2012

Nigeria’s sole representative in the marathon event of the 2012 Olympics in London, Esther Obiekwe, says her target is not to win a medal but to improve on her personal best

MEETING WITH JIM LAFFERTY

Published July 13, 2009

I finally met the CEO of Procter & Gamble Philippines in a lunch meeting at the California Pizza Kitchen, Glorietta last Friday. I really admire this guy for being straight, frank, sincere, and honest to his words

WORLD’S FIRST BLIND PERSON TO CLIMB MT. EVEREST IS BLIND TO FAILURE

Published June 8, 2008

Climbing is not a battle with the elements, nor against the law of gravity. It’s a battle against oneself. — Walter Bonatti

BOSTIC LEARNS VALUABLE LESSON — FOREST PARK TRACK STAIR AIMS FOR FOUR STATE TITLES

Published June 8, 2008

Calvin Bostic had a tough time holding back the tears. Disciplined in front of his friends by Jim Lafferty, Forest Park Junior High School’s track coach, Bostic left a team meeting six years ago bigger and disappointed