Paul Anthony Terek (born October 20, 1979, in Dearborn,

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

) is an American Olympic

decathlete The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄθ� ...

. He graduated from Livonia Franklin High School in

Livonia, Michigan Livonia ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Livonia is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 95,535. Originally organized as ...

. His personal best in decathlon is 8312 points, achieved in July 2004 in

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

at the United States Olympic Trials. Terek won the bronze medal and was placed on the United States Olympic Team. Out of the ten decathlon events, Terek is strongest in the

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

, and he is comparatively weak in the

100 m The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

and

400 m The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

sprints. Terek competed for the

Michigan State Spartans track and field The Michigan State Spartans track and field team is the track and field program that represents Michigan State University. The Spartans compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team is based in East Lansing, Michiga ...

team, where he was a national runner-up in the indoor pole vault and decathlon in 2002. Terek is also a two-time USA champion in the indoor

heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek ἑπτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hep ...

, 2003-4. In September 2010, Terek became the co-host of Living the Run, a health and fitness radio that airs on ESPN 1280 on the Central Coast of California. Terek and his co-host, Ryan Foran, are health and fitness advocates who are entertaining their fans while interviewing guests and sharing health and fitness tips and news on the weekly radio show. In 2006, Terek participated in the Japanese televised

obstacle course An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual, team or animal must navigate, usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the ...

Sasuke, currently syndicated in the United States as Ninja Warrior on the

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. Terek surpassed most of the other competitors but ultimately failed on the third stage obstacle, the Cliff Hanger, which requires traversal over a water pit with only small fingerholds to keep the competitor from falling into the water. Before the competition, his height and weight were recorded as and . He was by far the heaviest of all the contestants, weighing almost 60 pounds more than most of them ( Makoto Nagano, who won the very same tournament, weighed only at a height of ). It was said that Terek's weight was a factor in him falling from the Cliff Hanger early on. In the fall of 2007, Terek participated once again only to fail on the Jumping Spider obstacle in the first stage. He also helped oversee G4's second American Ninja Challenge prior to the 20th Sasuke competition (although Terek himself did not compete in that tournament). He did return to SASUKE in 2009 for the 22nd tournament, but failed the First Stage again, this time on an obstacle called the Slider Jump. The Slider Jump was again his downfall in the 24th tournament. Prior to his SASUKE appearance in fall 2007, Terek competed in another Japanese televised show called " Pro Sportsman No.1" where he won the namesake's title. In October 2010 he announced his retirement from international competition.Emons, Brad (2010-10-30)
Olympic decathlete Terek retires
Retrieved on 2010-10-31.

Achievements

SASUKE results

*17th competition (86): Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage *19th competition (98): Failed Jumping Spider - First Stage *22nd competition (98): Failed Slider Jump - First Stage *24th competition (82): Failed Slider Jump - First Stage

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Terek, Paul 1979 births Living people American male decathletes Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Sportspeople from Dearborn, Michigan Contestants on Japanese game shows 21st-century American sportsmen American male pole vaulters Michigan State Spartans men's track and field athletes