For many athletes, making the team for a single multi-sport games is a career achievement; for Bob Bertemes, it’s an almost seasonal occurrence. The mighty Luxembourger has been to six editions of the Games of the Small States of Europe, along with two editions of the CISM Military World Games, two editions of the Jeux de la Francophonie, two editions of the European Championships, the first edition of the European Games, and the most recent edition of the Summer Olympic Games.
By Matt Nelsen
Discover the Games caught up with the imposing shot puter after the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe in Malta. It was another victorious outing for the Luxembourger, who brought his medal tally up to four gold medals at the Games of the Small States of Europe. However, it’s his first outing at the Games that remains his personal favorite.
“When I was still young, I was always like, ‘I have to qualify [for the Games of the Small States of Europe].’ I think that kind of stuck,” admitted the 30 year old shot putter. “You got to qualify there. You got the chance to compete there, which is big. It’s a fun [multi-sport] games.” He added, “when I got bronze in 2011, it was really tough to qualify myself…getting third place felt like a gold medal back then.”
Role model
Now, the event is old hat to the experienced Luxembourger. Instead of focusing purely on the result, he has found a new fun-loving role within the national team. “I think now it’s more like [being] a role model for the youngsters; how you should behave outside of sport,” explained Bertemes. “When you go live with the team, just being the fun person on the team and reducing a little bit of the stress on everyone.”
He labeled himself a “laid back dude” when it comes to his attitude on the playing field. Nonetheless, Bertemes must overcome his own stressors as well. The Luxembourger often falls victim to negative hypothetical thinking. He expanded on that idea, stating, “I just imagine the competition a lot of times. Imagining what could go wrong, and what you will do when that happens.”
“I just like to go over all of the scenarios that could happen, so if they happen you’re super relaxed. You’re going to be like, ‘oh, yeah. I have been here a hundred times, a thousand times. It’s going to be cool.’ That’s kind of my thing.” He also made it clear that shot put wasn’t exclusively about brute strength, especially since public perception often supports that viewpoint. Instead, he proposed, “it’s your explosiveness. You have to be really quick in order to throw it as far as possible. The ring is kind of small, so you have to put a lot into the initial effort. It’s the legs. It’s all about the legs. We all look pretty ‘buff’ on the upper body, but it’s mostly legs.”
His approach to competition is just as layered as the mental and physical side of the event. While he yearns for outstanding results like any athlete, there’s one key word that defines his approach to the sport, fun. “Fun is the whole thing,” explained Bertemes. “You’re training really, really hard to get here, and then two days before [the event] you decide what you’re going to eat, what you’re going to do, what time you’re going to bed…I think you just have to go out there and have fun; do the best you can.”
Discus
His jovial disposition led him to take up a second athletic pursuit, throwing the discus. It began as a fun challenge to break the national record, but transitioned to more of a personal pursuit to better his marks. He told Discover the Games, “we tried a bit of discus, then as all sportsmen who are kind of competitive, I want to throw further and further!’ Then I got a bit stuck with it, but it’s more like a fun thing,” admitted the Luxembourger.
While he doesn’t train for the event full-time, he did earn a silver medal at the Games of the Small States of Europe. An undoubtedly respectable result for an athlete who took up discus on a whim, or perhaps just another fascinating chapter in the career of a multi-sport games veteran. He left some parting advice for younger athletes, stating, “Don’t be too stressed out. It’s the thing you train [for] all the time. Just go out there and have fun with the crowd.” Given how well that approach has worked out Bertemes, those might be wise words to heed.
European Games
It won’t be long before Bertemes is back in action at a multi-sport competition. He is slated to compete for Luxembourg at the 2023 European Games in Poland. Discover the Games will be on the ground to provide coverage of the most compelling, fascinating, and exciting stories from the Games. Who knows if Bertemes will once again find his way back into the headlines?