Sam Mattis, Olympic Discus Thrower — EcoAthletes (2024)

To Sam Mattis, ‘practice makes perfect’ is much more than a cliché, it’s a way of life.

From his nearly lifelong pursuit of perfection in the über-technical sport of discus thrower, to his more recent journey to learn everything he can about the climate crisis, he leaves no stone unturned. That is why he looks forward, as EcoAthletes’ newest Champion, to doing whatever he can to spark the #ClimateComeback.

“There are lots of opportunities and platforms for athletes to do good across many issues,” acknowledged Mattis. “I hadn’t found anything on climate until I heard about EcoAthletes. I am excited, as an EcoAthletes Champion, to engage fans and other athletes to take climate action!”

Mattis, who played many sports as a kid in East Brunswick, New Jersey, got into discus in 8th grade.

“My dad was a shot putter, but my track coaches moved me to discus almost immediately,” he recalled. “I came in first place in my first meet when I was 14 with a throw of 87 feet. And then things really clicked the next year in 9th grade when I set the state freshman record with a throw of 169 feet, almost double my winning first effort! I loved the work involved with training, translating it to my throwing and the feeling of winning.”

While Mattis is on the short side for a world class discus thrower at 6’ 1”, he makes up for it with diamond cutter precision when it comes to his technique.

“I use my long arms and strong legs to maximize my explosiveness,” he offered. “It’s really a dance within the [throwing] circle. It’s graceful and mindful; you need to be both aggressive and calm — I meditate for 20 minutes every day — and I love it.”

His love for discus translated into consistent success throughout his high school career: He won the nationals in both his junior and senior years, took first at the prestigious Penn Relays as a senior and broke the New Jersey record as a senior.

When it came to his college choice, the nearby University of Pennsylvania checked a lot of boxes for Mattis.

“Great academic school as part of the Ivy League,” recounted Mattis. “Terrific track team and coaching staff. Great career connections. And I liked the idea of being in Philadelphia. I was sold and became a Penn Quaker, attending the Wharton School of Business as an economics major as I thought I wanted to work in finance.”

His Wall Street internship his sophom*ore and junior years changed his mind and his direction.

“I got disenchanted with it,” admitted Mattis. “The profit motive was the only motive. There was no real interest in social justice or in equity. They talked a good game, but it was just words. So, I decided I wanted to be a pro and Olympic athlete and see if I could be a force for good in the process.”

A jaw dropping 221-foot throw — the longest collegiate throw by an American — as a senior in 2016 showed that he had the ability. But after graduation, making a living as a discus thrower, even one of the best in the world, proved to be a challenge.

“I moved in 2017 to the small city of Reading, Pennsylvania where I could work with my old coach and have limited distractions,” Mattis said. “Even though I was Top 10 in the world, there were few opportunities to make money. So, even though I took on some part time jobs, it was a tough transition physically, financially, and emotionally.”

Despite the challenges, Mattis put together strong seasons in 2018 and especially 2019, winning the nationals with the second-best throw of his career in ’19 and finishing a respectable 11th at the world championships. He was on track to make the US Olympic Team for Tokyo 2020 when COVID hit, and the IOC postponed the Games until the next summer.

“I could still train, throw and lift during 2020,” he acknowledged. “So, I was ready to push for Tokyo 2021 and then I injured my back.”

The Olympics looked in doubt as Mattis’ back injury severely reduced the distance of most of his throws (“worse than my freshman year at Penn”). Yet somehow, he was able to use his mental strength — being mindful, staying calm — to rally at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, doing enough to earn a third-place finish and thus a ticket to Tokyo.

“My first reaction upon making the Olympic team was relief,” admitted Mattis. “Then, when we got to Tokyo, it was all so strange. Hardly anyone was in the stadium, we were tested all the time, and the bubble was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I finished 8th and it turned out to be my best meet of the season. All in all, with the injuries, I was happy with the result.”

After taking time off to recover, Mattis had a strong 2022 season, throwing 225 feet at a meet in Tucson, Arizona, and then doing well in Europe. He enters the 2023 season in great shape, working hard to get better so he can make a run at a medal at Paris 2024.

In the meantime, Mattis is ready to make a run at being a climate leader. His interest in it goes back to his Central Jersey childhood.

“I remember seeing a film in elementary school about runaway greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that stuck with me,” he said. “Through high school, Penn and after, I kept on reading about climate. In 2018 I read ‘The Uninhabitable Earth’ by David Wallace Wells and that had a huge impact…Now, I’ve always been on progressive politically, but it always angered that me climate change was only something that those on the Left were concerned about. Climate should not be a political issue, but it is. So, I became really motivated to do something about it.”

Mattis became a World Athletics climate ambassador, has phone banked for the Sunrise Movement, a US youth-focused climate activist organization, and is investigating climate-related career opportunities for his post-athletic life.

In the meantime, according to EcoAthletes founder and CEO Lew Blaustein, Mattis is primed to use his platform to lead climate action.

“We look forward to finding climate-themed speaking opportunities for Sam in the run-up to Paris 2024,” Blaustein said. “His thirst for knowledge, desire to make a difference, and his charisma will no doubt lead him to the #ClimateComeback medal stand.”

You can follow Sam on Instagram