Tiny Axe Thrower Interview: Full Metal Jacky

I caught up with Jacky at the Urban Open this year after they managed to snag a standard marathon championship. I hadn't met Jacky before, and I jumped at the chance to chat them up about how they progressed in the sport. So here it is: the tiny axe thrower interview featuring Wacky Jacky!

How long have you been throwing, and where's your home base?

Jacky: Since 2022, so a little over three years. Out of Urban Axes Boston.

And what did you just win?

The standard marathon at the Urban Open.

How do you think you accomplished that? Either throughout the day or just generally?

I'm really stubborn and I don't give up, and I also know the thoughts of the enemy, so I try not to think.

So I just do, because as soon as you think, "oh, I could do this," or "this might happen," or "I feel this," it falls apart.

So I just try to not think of anything or use my ADHD to think of several random things that have nothing to do with what I'm doing. And that helps.

What are you most proud of today outside of winning the whole kit and caboodle? What do you think you did exceptionally well throughout the day, or even just one moment that you were proud of?

Yeah, I think even though I was really hurting, I can't feel like half my hand. And so it was starting to creep into my head that that might fuck me up bad, but then I just kind of pushed it away and I took a couple risks when I should have, which was good.

I think, mainly, I just hung in there. And then also the best decision I made: I wore the stupidest shirt I own, and I usually throw better when I'm looking stupid.

Yeah, sure.

I'm really good at that.

Do you typically do well in your leagues?

It depends on the league I've gotten into

Funny thing is, after I came here last year, I started throwing better, I think in large part and due to Shannon - ABC axes, I won one of his axes and it was a nice axe. I was actually throwing with something not shitty. So then I bought one from him that was more suited to my throwing, and that really helped.

Oh, I also got 81 today. That's the second one I've ever gotten.

Wow! Congratulations!

Is there any advice that you could give somebody, now you were throwing in the standard marathon, right? So I guess standard players in general or premier, but is there any advice you could give somebody who is either feels like they're plateauing or is brand new to the sport?

Yeah, challenge yourself.

I was terrible and I did a premier league because I didn't want to be terrible anymore, so I did premier only for a year. At one point I did two premier leagues and that really helped.

Don't be afraid to not be good. Don't even be afraid to be terrible because you're not going to get where you want to go if you give up or you get too in your head or play it safe. You just got to keep challenging yourself and just get used to being comfortable with being uncomfortable. I work through it and then once you see you can do it, then you'll do it more and more.

Is there anybody that you want to shout out or anybody you want to include in this interview?

Yeah, so I want to thank my friend Mackenzie. Her name is Clutch Spice back in Boston, and whenever she's not around, I throw the best I ever throw and she pointed that out. So I want to give a shout out and thank her for not coming so I could accomplish what I accomplished. I think I have, you probably do.

[[Truth in reporting: it was at this point I started looking through my notebook because I thought I had a Clutch Spice Sticker, which I did, and then we talked about all the stickers we both have]]

Yeah, there's so many people. I like to shout at Boston. There's so many. Courtney McQueen, lightning McQueen, Brian Slumberjack. There's so many great people. It's so hard. But I especially want to thank Mackenzie for not being here. I feel really good that she's not around.

Big thanks to Full Metal Jacky for taking the time to chat with me, and for the great advice about overcoming discomfort in learning!