Today’s podcast guest is Liz Gleadle. Liz is a three-time Canadian Olympian, national record holder, and accomplished javelin thrower. Now a movement coach and educator, she combines elite sport experience with a holistic approach to athletic development, helping athletes build adaptable, resilient, and skillful movement practices.
In this episode, Liz shares insights about rhythm, throwing, emotional training, and the deeper human elements of performance. She discusses how hanging, rings, dance, breath, sound, and object-based play shaped her understanding of movement, coordination, and javelin technique. They also explore strength training, elasticity, gratitude, coaching energy, cultural rhythm, and how athletes can learn to move with more joy, confidence, reverence, and authentic physical expression.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses
Use the code “LILAJUSTFLY10” for 10% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance gear. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com
Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:37 — 77.5MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | JioSaavn | Podchaser | Email | Deezer | Anghami | Youtube Music | RSS
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/)
Topics
0:00 – Return of Liz
3:39 – Core Connection
6:04 – Throwing Feels Powerful
8:37 – Breath Becomes Sound
13:36 – Cadence for Running
16:30 – Rhythm in Community
22:28 – Listening to Objects
26:42 – Bendy Tools, Better Throws
28:36 – Basketball Teaches Bounce
31:26 – Elasticity Over Iron
34:34 – Timing Beats Strength
38:05 – Train Without Noise
40:25 – Bands and Hip Thrusts
43:44 – Biofeedback and Lift Selection
48:12 – Learning Skills Properly
52:12 – Comfort Zone and Confidence
59:18 – Emotional Training Begins
1:06:27 – Gratitude and the Long Body
1:17:10 – Coaching Through Play
Liz Gleadle Quotes
“Rhythm creates safety in your nervous system, and it allows you to open up to learn, to relax, to enter into different states instead of being hyper focused and hyper stressed.”
“Because if you’re in a coordination sport, it doesn’t matter how strong you are. When I was 15, I was anorexic. I weighed 135 pounds. I threw a 600 gram javelin, 50 meters. Timing matters.”
“Do you know how to physically learn? Do you know how to pay attention? Do you know how to reduce noise in your mind? Like those are all things that are just simply not taught, and they’re worth their weight in gold.”
“I can pick up a javelin and make it look like a magic trick and that’s because I paid attention to its qualities.”
“What is confidence? Confidence is often a mathematical principle.”
“You’ve expanded their zones so much that to do this thing that would have previously terrified them now gets them excited.”
“I think that’s ultimately what you’re giving people. Like, you’re giving people access to human experience.”
About Liz Gleadle
Liz Gleadle is a Canadian Olympian, national champion, and movement coach best known for her achievements in the javelin throw. A three-time Olympian representing Canada, she has been one of the country’s most successful throwers, earning medals at major international competitions and setting Canadian records in the event. Beyond her competitive career, Gleadle has become a respected educator and coach, blending elite athletic experience with a holistic approach to movement, performance, and personal development. Her work emphasizes athleticism, skill acquisition, and lifelong movement practice, helping athletes and coaches develop more adaptable and resilient performance systems.
Free Speed Training eBook - Velocity 101
Improving speed is one of the most popular topics in the athletic performance equation. Where there are many ideas and thoughts out there, as to particular training exercises, or setups, the more core aspects of speed training often go without mention. These include the fundamental aspects of what makes an athlete fast, specific sprint-power concepts, the relevance of "3D" motion, motor learning and more.
Velocity 101 will help you take a leap forward in understanding of what makes athletes fast, and how to train it effectively