America's First Grandmaster of Memory

America has a new champion from a very unusal sport: Memory! Scott Hagwood

Bring on the Wheaties Box-America has a new champion from a most unusual sport. Scott Hagwood, of Fayetteville, NC, returned from the 2003 World Memory Championships with a new title to add to his 3-Time National Memory Champion designation. Hagwood became Americas first Grandmaster of Memory.

In a world where most of us cannot even remember where we put the car keys, Hagwood has mastered some phenomenal feats in order to achieve this prestigious designation. He was required to memorize the order of 7 complete decks of cards in one hour; recall 713 random numbers in exact sequence in an hour, and remember a completely shuffled single deck of cards in under 3 minutes.

The 13th World Memory Championships, called by some the Olympics of the Mind," was held in Kuala Lumpus, Malaysia. Hagwood competed with 46 other mind athletes representing 20 different countries in 10 events spread over three days. Competitors were challenged to remember thousands of numbers, names and faces, words, a poem and decks of cards.

Is there a practical purpose for memory skill development? According to Hagwood, there are a multitude of powerful applications, including improved time efficiency, enhanced productivity and a better quality of life. Hagwood also believes that the exercises used in building a stronger memory can actually reduce the probability of developing Alzheimers Disease

Back to those car keys ... To remember where you put them, take these tips from our 3-Time Memory Champion and Grandmaster of Memory:
1. Develop a routine. Put your keys in the same place every day.
2. Give the location your full attention as you place your keys there. Focus on where you put them for 5 full seconds.
3. Make this activity interesting by rewarding yourself in some small way.
4. Reinforce this good feeling every time you pass by the spot and see the keys there.

Do you want more help with improving your memory? Hagwood presents keynotes and workshops for corporations, associations and educators, designed to help ordinary people develop extraordinary memory.

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