Olga Kotelko lights fires under others with her spirit, example
If you’re not an inspiration already (for doing track and field at your age), you can expect to be at age 90. Sure happened for Olga Kotelko. Of course, it helps when you’re setting a gazillion world records. Olga of West Vancouver, British Columbia, also has an athlete’s character and spirit. Her local paper named it: “The Olga Effect.” A wonderful 2,700-word story documents how she had remade the lives of others, simply by her example. “It’s not how old you are; it’s how you get old,” Olga is quoted as saying. “Use it or lose it.” Here’s Olga in February, doing an Olympic torch leg:
‘Old Bloke’ Bradstock kicks kiddie butt at Georgia Tech invite
Roald on Friday.
Roald (in yellow) poses with some kids he beat Friday night.
Mile record-holder John Hinton featured in short documentary
M45 miler John Hinton, a North Carolina masters legend, is a focus of a 9-minute documentary posted three months ago on YouTube. The video, uploaded by “jksuttle,” is described thusly: “This piece follows John Hinton (Carrboro native and world-record holder) as he prepares for the 2009 USA Masters Track & Field (nationals); it also compares his ideas and practices of running with The Pacers, a children’s running group based out of Carrboro as well. Direction, photography and editing by Chris Saunders, Kory Suttles and Chris Castro.” It’s a classic study, well-produced. Nice music. John’s mile at Landover indoor nationals is featured as well. (He almost passed out before the race, but took second behind Scott Hartley.)
National Senior Games to pay USATF to run its track meets
According to minutes posted from the latest USATF Masters T&F Executive Committee meeting, USATF will be in charge of the track meet of the biennial National Senior Games. The next one is in Houston in 2011. Jeff Brower’s notes from Thursday’s teleconference say: “USATF & NSG lawyers are ironing out the details for USATF to handle the track and field portion of the National Senior Games. About $5000 will be paid to USATF to take this over ($1000 for implement-use fee, $4000 for Games Committee oversight). This income will be tracked as a separate line item in the budget. How does this affect the Senior state meets? The indication is that NSG wants USATF to handle these in the distant future.” Very interesting. And a new revenue stream!
Mary Trotto named chair of USATF Masters T&F Awards Committee
Mary at Oshkosh in full Bohemia TC regalia. (Photo by Ken Stone)
Albuquerque re-awarded 2011 USATF masters indoor nationals
USATF has announced in a strange press release that Albuquerque, New Mexico, will host the 2011 masters national indoor championships. Why strange? Because the city was publicly chosen as host of the 2011 meet last December. Five months ago, the annual convention voted for New Mexico 26-25 over Bloomington, Indiana. So why the re-announcement? As noted by national chair Gary Snyder last week, negotiations were ongoing over a contract between USATF and the LOC (local organizing committee). Gary even warned: “Until agreement is reached I would recommend not making arrangements to travel to Albuquerque.” But now a deal has been struck. Dodged another bullet.
Canadian track coach Charlie Francis also mourned by masters
Sprints guru Charlie Francis
Sean Callahan re-emerges with story on masters interval training
Sean Callahan
Deadline is Saturday for USATF Challenge Grant applications
Saturday is the deadline for applying for a chunk of change from USATF. It’s the Challenge Grant process, mentioned back in late March. Here’s what USATF says: “The deadline of May 15, 2010 is fast approaching but applications are still being accepted and considered for USATF’s Excellence Challenge Grants. USA Track & Field will fund a total of $220,000 in Excellence Challenge Grants to support advancing performance excellence in five specific areas: Race Walking, Youth, Masters, Long Distance Running and Disabled Athlete Programs. The objective of these grants is to stimulate innovative proposals that will result in sustained improvement in competitive excellence across these disciplines, consistent with USATF’s strategic plan.”
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Phil Raschker, our Usain Bolt, again poster child for masters sports
A new website called SecondAct features Masters Hall of Famer Phil Raschker in a story on masters sports. See it here. I like SecondAct’s mantra: “Your first 40 years may have been successful. Your next 40 can be even better.” The article quotes Phil as saying: “At times I have stepped away from being competitive and gone into hibernation for a while. But when I don’t have the object of being able to compete, I find that I’m not quite living the lifestyle that I want to.” So she comes out of hibernation. The cool part of hibernation: We can choose to shed it. The SecondAct article celebrating masters sports comes the same week as a well-argued story by Amy Shipley in The Washington Post that our sport (with Usain Bolt’s help) is growing in popularity after years of stagnation. It’s all good. And when Usain turns 35 in 12 years, he has other worlds to conquer.
Phil leads the W60 field at the 2009 NSG. (Photo by Rick Rickman)
