Larry Wade facts for kids

Larry Wade (born November 22, 1974, in Giddings, Texas) is a former American track and field athlete. He was especially good at the 110 metres hurdles race. Larry is known for being super fast! His best time in the 110 hurdles was 13.01 seconds, which he achieved in July 1999. This amazing speed made him one of the fastest hurdlers ever.

Larry Wade was honored by being added to the Texas A&M University Hall of Fame. He earned this after winning big championships in college. After his running career, Larry became a top coach for boxers, helping them win many world titles. He has worked with famous boxers like Shawn Porter, Badou Jack, and even YouTube stars Jake Paul and Olajide Olatunji. Larry also shares his sports knowledge as a commentator for TV networks like ESPN and Fox Sports. The City of Las Vegas even declared December 15 as "Larry Wade Day" to celebrate his work with boxers!

Larry's Amazing Running Career

College Achievements

Larry Wade went to Texas A&M University where he became a star athlete. He won the Southwest Conference Championship in the 110 hurdles. In 1995, he earned a Bronze Medal at the Olympic Festival Championship. He also won a silver medal at the 1995 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, which was one of the fastest times in college history!

In 1997, Larry won the first-ever Big 12 Conference Championship in the 110 Hurdles. His record-breaking time of 13.38 seconds stood for over 10 years! He continued to shine, winning two NCAA National Titles in 1998. He won both the 55-meter hurdles indoors and the 110-meter hurdles outdoors. ESPN even featured him in their "Faces In The Crowd" section because of his success. The next year, he won another Big 12 indoor championship and then repeated as the NCAA Champion in both the indoor 55m hurdles and outdoor 110m hurdles. Larry finished his college career as a five-time NCAA All-American in Track and Field.

Professional Running

Larry Wade became a professional athlete in 1998 and signed a deal with Nike. In 1999, he was ranked third in the world for the 110 hurdles by Track and Field News. He faced a challenge in 2000 when he had heart surgery. But he didn't give up!

In 2001, Larry earned a Bronze Medal at the Goodwill Games in the 110 hurdles. He continued to be ranked among the top hurdlers in the world, staying at number three in both 2001 and 2002. In 2003, Larry won a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in the 110 hurdles. He also placed fourth at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics. Larry officially retired from track and field in 2007.

Larry's Coaching Journey

Larry Wade began his coaching career in 2006. He was chosen to be the Head Track and Field Coach for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2006 Asian Games. His team did incredibly well, winning eight gold medals and two bronze medals in athletics!

In 2007, Larry was inducted into the Texas A&M University Hall of Fame for his amazing college career. He also coached for Double Pillar LLC. In 2008, he became a Co-Head Coach for Pasadena City College. The next year, he was an Assistant Coach for San Diego State University. He helped their team reach the top 25 at the 2009 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championship, which was a huge achievement for them!

In 2010, Larry became the Head Track and Field Coach for Pasadena City College. He also became the new director for the historic Pasadena Games track and field meet in 2012. In 2013, Larry was honored as the State Women's Track and Field Coach of the Year. He then became the Sprints Coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

Coaching Boxing Champions

Larry Wade is also a highly respected strength and conditioning coach in the world of boxing. In 2013, boxer Shawn Porter hired Larry, and Shawn went on to win the IBF Welterweight Championship that year!

By 2016, Coach Wade was known as one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country. He helped Shawn Porter in a big fight against Keith Thurman. He also worked with WBC super middleweight Champion Badou Jack. In 2017, Wade helped Badou Jack win the WBA Light Heavy Weight World Championship. Later that year, he helped Shawn Porter win the WBC welterweight Silver Belt. Larry has helped his boxing clients win 14 World Titles!

Athletes Larry Has Coached

Larry Wade has trained many incredible athletes across different sports, helping them reach their full potential. Here are some of the talented people he has worked with:

• Dominique Arnold (American Record Holder in 110 Hurdles)
• Carmelita Jeter (Olympian and World Record Holder)
• Candice Davis (World Championship Medalist)
• Hector Cotto (Olympian)
• Rodney Martin (Olympian)
• Leroy Dixon (World Champion)
• John Steffensen (Olympian)
• Shawn Porter (Boxing Champion)
• Badou Jack (Boxing Champion)
• Caleb Plant (Boxing Champion)
• Olajide Olatunji (Boxing)
• Jake Paul (Boxing)
• Gilbert Arenas (NBA Player)
• Chauncey Washington (NFL Player)
• Brian Price (NFL Player)

International Competitions Summary

Larry Wade competed in several important international events during his professional running career.

• In 1999, he placed 3rd at the IAAF Grand Prix Final in Munich, Germany.
• In 2001, he earned a bronze medal at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia.
• In 2003, he won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo. He also placed 4th at the World Championships in Paris, France, showing he was one of the top hurdlers globally.