Unlocking Hidden Speed: Donavan Brazier, Hidden Tension, and the Body’s Inner Mechanics

I was reading the Let’s Run article this morning about Donavan Brazier and his incredible journey. He won the World Championships in Doha in 2019, then suffered multiple Achilles and calcaneal bone injuries that required surgery. For years, many thought his competitive running career was over. Against all odds, he came back to win the USATF 800m title in 2025.

👉 Read the full Let’s Run story here

Watching him now, he looks phenomenal. But subtle clues in his movement reveal something interesting. Early on, his physical therapist noticed he tended to stand and walk on the balls of his feet. This isn’t just a small detail—it can indicate a deeper pattern I call the Descended Phenomena.

What is Descended Phenomena?

Descended Phenomena occurs when tension builds in the sacrum and spinal cord, often following traumas such as head impacts, falls, or car accidents, or from chronic high-tension athletic patterns. Over time, this tension can subtly influence posture and movement. In athletes, it often presents as toe-walking or ball-of-foot walking, which can limit efficiency, alter force distribution, and increase risk of injury—even in world-class competitors like Donavan.

High-tension athletes like Donavan generate incredible force when they run. He even has an accessory soleus muscle, adding extra power to his stride. But when spinal and sacral tension is present, that power may not be fully expressed—or could even contribute to injuries.

How IMT Can Help

With Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT), we have a Descended Phenomena technique designed to release tension in the sacrum and spinal cord. The goal is to restore natural alignment and organization, allowing the body to move efficiently without compensations like toe-walking. Athletes can express their full power while reducing the hidden risks of tension patterns.

Imagine what this could mean for an elite athlete like Donavan—or any high-tension runner: improved efficiency, reduced injury risk, and the ability to unlock more of the body’s natural power. Watching subtle postural patterns can reveal what’s happening deep inside the body, and targeted work like IMT can correct it, restore balance, and potentially elevate performance to levels that might otherwise remain hidden.

Watch Donavan in Action

Comparing Elite & Local Runners + Pre/Post Session

This video illustrates:

• Subtle differences between elite running mechanics and youth runners
• How targeted work on the Descended Phenomena and Helix Biomechanics can transform running efficiency
• Pre/post session improvements in a local runner, showing the fast effects of this work

Learn More / Contact

For more about this work, sessions, or coaching, you can reach me at Beyond Limits Physical Therapy:

Website: www.RalphHavens.com
Phone: 360.599.2217
Address: 1134 10th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

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