YouTube taught him how to throw the javelin and now he has an Olympic medal.

The incredible and inspiring story of Olympic medalist Julius Yego.

YouTube is the great video-sharing platform, and that means it's also a useful tool for learningand that means it's also a useful tool for learning. On this platform you can upload both theoretical classes enlivened with animations and audio-essays, reflections and even documentary pieces of popularization.

But... can you also learn a sport? Kenyan Julius Yego is the living proof that the answer to this question is yes, because starting from a YouTube tutorial he has won an Olympic medal in the last edition of the Olympic Games.

The story of Julius Yego

Many of the poorest countries in Africa export athletes specialized in running, among other things because the conditions to start training in this sport are not expensive.. Elite athletes can avail themselves of specialized training centers, the attention of personal trainers and a follow-up plan that includes nutrition and exercise.The first few months are all about finding a few minutes a day to run. Julius Yego tried to make a career out of running the 100-meter dash when he didn't have to help his parents on the farm, but when he didn't get the results he was hoping for, he turned to the javelin.

Javelin throwing is a sport that requires a greater investment of money, but Julius solved this drawback by manufacturing a javelin thrower. Julius solved this drawback by making his own equipment.. At that point he was able to start developing the basic skills to throw the javelin, although his lack of resources was a serious drawback: he could not find a coach to help him.

Getting started with the help of YouTube

Unable to find help in his home country, Julius turned to that space where physical borders disappear: The Internet. If he wanted to become the next Andreas Thorkildsen he had to teach himself strategies and methods to improve his javelin throwing skills, without relying on anyone in particular.

And that's how he came to YouTube, the place where he could watch Thorkildsen's throws over and over again. The athlete's videos became, unbeknownst to him, a tutorial that was being used by someone in very poor training conditions. Andreas Thorkildsen's example had such a strong impact on Julius's life that his videos became his videos became a kind of virtual high performance center..

Julius' progress

Making a habit of learning from the videos, Julius went on to win his first national title just a few months after startingbut there was not much competition, as javelin throwing was not popular in Kenya. The real challenge came at the 2012 Olympics, where Julius was the first representative of his country to compete in this sport. In that year, thanks to his efforts he managed to place among the top two throwers in the world; a foretaste of what was to come and of his promising career.

In 205, Julius Yego won a world champion title, throwing the javelin at 92.72 meters and creating the third highest mark in history, the world record being 98.72 meters.the world record of 98.48. At the recent Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he won silver.

The potential of self-learning

Julius Yego's story gives a glimpse of the possibilities that can arise from a combination of hard work and self-learning. and the use of new technologies available to almost everyone. Knowing how to manage the latter and promote the former can be the key to make the lives of many people be structured by important and meaningful projects for them, as long as we can count on the means and the referents whose example we can follow.