Athlete. Teaching Credentials in Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education. Professor. Coach. Inventor. Entrepreneur. Stuntman. Actor. Tim Werner’s experiences are varied and expansive.
Tim, a Thunderbird from the Class of 1976, grew up in Woodland Hills, California. He attended Notre Dame High School and became a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Champion in the pole vault in 1974. When his father retired to Arizona, Tim learned the value of hard work on a farm in Gilbert.
“The act of physical labor helped me eventually hone my craft for track and field,” Werner says.
Tim went on to attend classes at MCC and joined the track team, training under legendary coaches such as MCC Hall of Famers Selmer Olsen and Carvell Jackson. Werner worked alongside teammate Wes Herbst, who was 3rd in national point scoring in the decathlon in 1976.
“I still keep in touch with Wes. His son is actually my attorney!” Tim says.
A wealth of experience at MCC prepared Tim for a wide-ranging career, which included a longtime stint as a film industry stuntman in Hollywood. Beginning in the 1980s, he is credited for 43 roles according to Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Some notables? The X-Files, Con Air, Heat, and working alongside Hollywood greats such as Robert De Niro, David Carradine, Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I was really good at saying one word, and then dying,” Tim laughs.
Earning graduate credentials in kinesiology and biomechanics, Werner went on to apply his knowledge to teaching in the classroom, and coaching on the field. His passion for athletics culminated in being awarded two patents for a pole vault training device called the Swing-Up Rack. It is designed to build strength, fitness, and technique for athletes, keeping the core and shoulders engaged for the full range of motion required for a successful pole vault.
The device is now used by athletes around the world, which include: a current world record holder, a world champion, a gold medalist, an NCAA Champion, and numerous pole vaulters worldwide.
Werner’s time at MCC was invaluable to his professional journey. “It was a great experience at MCC, which prepared me for a diverse life,” Werner says. “The coaches were great, and the athletes were of every race and creed from everywhere–all around the country. I took a film class there. A particular physics class inspired me to study biomechanics. I made lifelong friends.”