On Monday at the Louis II Stadium, Olympic champion Hamish Kerr conducted an initiation session for young athletes from AS Monaco Athletics.

This event is part of the lead-up to the prestigious Herculis EBS Meeting, set to take place on July 11. Following his own training, the New Zealand high jumper expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to share his experience with local children.

Kerr remarked, "I am really excited.

This will be great.

I have also brought my coach along, so I won't have to make all the decisions myself.

I look forward to seeing how good they are at high jump here in Monaco."

The program curated by Kerr included a comprehensive warm-up followed by specific exercises.

"I will show them some exercises that we like to do at numerous competitions, and then we will dive into the main subject, the high jump," he stated.

For the champion with an eye on the Paris 2024 Olympics, the core goal is to impart his passion for athletics.

Kerr explained, "What has kept me in athletics and made me successful for so long is simply that I deeply love the sport.

If the children enjoy the activity today and meet other young competitors with whom they love to train, that will be a successful day for me."

During the initiation, Kerr shared valuable advice with the participants: "One must be patient.

When you are young, you want to be at the top immediately and win all the time.

It's important to understand that I, for example, had to grow before becoming a very good jumper.

So, it is just about enjoying, being consistent, showing up at training every day, and most importantly, loving it."

The young athletes appeared to be influenced by this philosophy.

Maxime, a 15-year-old student from the FANB Institution and a member of the athletics club, noted, "It was very impressive to be with an Olympic champion.

I thank him for coming to coach us." Although Maxime specializes in long jump and short-distance sprints rather than high jump, he found the experience enriching: "This was my first time doing high jump training.

It was great because it worked my legs in a different way.

I mostly focus on sprints, so I found it really interesting."

This was not Kerr's first time on the track in Monaco.

"I have participated in the Monaco Diamond League twice in the past.

Last year, I even won the competition in my specialty just before the Olympics in Paris, so it was a very important event for me," he recalled, reflecting on his Olympic gold medal with an emotional tone.

"I feel like it's something I will never fully grasp.

It's remarkable how it changed my life and that of my country as well."

Kerr praised Monaco, stating, "Monaco is a beautiful place.

I love coming here.

It's always calm and relaxed, reminding me a lot of my home country.

The stadium is also incredible.

When I compete here, I always sit in a corner waiting for my jump and just look up at the mountains behind.

It's a very beautiful location."

Jean-Pierre Schoebel, director of the Herculis Meeting since its inception and director of the Monaco Athletics Federation, emphasized the importance of such interactions between young athletes and champions: "For me, the loop is completed when we hold events like this.

Hamish Kerr is an athlete who has won here, in a stadium that served as a springboard for him to become an Olympic champion in Paris." Schoebel expressed hope that Kerr would replicate his success at the upcoming meeting.

The organization of such events aligns with the club's and federation's mission.

"We are an athletics club, as well as a federation that organizes this meeting.

It is therefore legitimate to involve the children.

Seeing the meeting from the stands is one thing; seeing your idol up close and benefiting from the advice of an athlete like him is all beneficial, both athletically and socially," Schoebel noted.

Preparations for the upcoming Herculis Meeting are already underway.

"We are working hard on it," Schoebel confirmed.

"We are handling athletes’ invitations, setting everything up, and managing the logistics to host this event.

It is indeed a significant logistical undertaking involving hotels and stadium preparations.

We are progressing steadily, but we know we will be ready by July 11." Regarding expected performances, the director remained prudent yet optimistic: "Records?

We are working towards that, of course.

But we do not usually announce them...

When asked what we aim to achieve, I reply: A meeting with the best possible results.

That way, I am sure I will not be mistaken."

The Herculis Meeting takes place amidst a busy international calendar, leading up to the World Championships in Tokyo.

"Athletes still need to sharpen their skills at this stage of the season.

I believe we are one of the most important stops in July," Schoebel remarked.

For the director, the essential aspect remains the experience offered to the public: "All we wish is for the passionate fans, friends, and families who come to the stadium to have a very good evening with a great show.

For us, that is truly the most important thing."