Willis reveals the secret to his success

Fairfax Media

FAMILY TIES: Nick Willis had his mum in his heart and was singing a song as he flew around the Bird's Nest on the way to his Olympic 1500m bronze medal.

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Nick Willis had his mum in his heart and was singing a song as he flew around the Bird's Nest on the way to his Olympic 1500m bronze medal.

The Hutt Valley-born, Michigan-based runner revealed the secret to his success yesterday, saying the death of his mother Rosalie from cancer when he was four gave him strength, and that singing a song by a band called Third Day kept him relaxed during the hustle and bustle of the opening 800m.

Willis was surrounded by 20 family and friends in Beijing yesterday, including former Hutt Valley High School classmates Stuart Quigg and Hamish Vickerman, who shaved the initials NZ into their chest hair and painted Willis on their backs before Tuesday night's final.

Just before heading out to a celebratory lunch of Peking Duck yesterday and then onto the Bird's Nest Stadium to receive his bronze medal, Willis opened up on what drove him to the greatest race of his life on the biggest stage of them all.

"The fact that I didn't have a mother, success in sport was a means for me to feel like I had value... and the way to make myself to stand up was to use the sporting platform to build up by self esteem," he said.

"It's hard to know whether I remember her through stories or reality. It's tough."

Willis said singing during the race "kept me relaxed while still keeping me aggressive".

"I've never had the one perfect race and I seriously believe that, considering it was my third race in five days, it was the best race I could've done. My legs were dead before the race started."

Willis' wife of 11 months Sierra, father Richard and brother Steve, who is his assistant coach, all spoke of their admiration for the 25 year-old.

Richard said he was the only one able to get a good night's sleep, it seems with the help of a few nightcaps.

"We are all immensely proud of Nick. It's something we'll never forget," Richard said.

Sierra was frustrated Willis took an eternity to reach her in surely the longest victory lap in Olympic history.

She was seated at the bottom of the home straight while Richard and Steve were in the second deck on the other side of the track.

"It still feels unreal. I was so excited. It's been a long road to get here, a lot of training and hard work but it is all worthwhile," she said.

Making it all the more worthwhile was an admission from Willis that his performance was valued so highly by his sponsor Reebok that he anticipates his bonus will will clear the mortgage on his Ann Arbour home.

"The guy who signs my cheques, Todd Klein, said he received at least 50 emails from Boston back where headquarters is, so everyone's very, very happy.

"That will pay off my mortgage that one basically, so I'm very happy."