My Comeback Chronicles #6- Final Thoughts

All in all no regrets, well except one  it happened at the awards ceremony when they handed out the gold medal. They gave away a tiny plush alligator (Games Mascot?), I did a double take….man, I would have loved to give that to my three year old grand-daughter …..sorry Tink….Pop Pop didn’t realize what was at stake.

So to put the indoor season in context I won the US Nationals at 60m with a time ranked second in the world overall, Silver in the 60m at the World Championships, and fourth in the Long Jump. Inches separating me and my competitors. So not to bad for doing the whole “rip van winkle” thing for the past 13 years. So fuck you track gods, fate or whoever, as far as I’m concerned the medals were the prizes but the rewards are the stories and memories that will stay with me forever.

It was great to be welcomed back into the masters community by old friends and new, David Jones, Kevin Biggers, Clinton Aurelia, Robert Thomas, Henry Landry, Bill Collins, Val Barnwell, Tony Di Salvo, Alan Sims, Francios Boda and too many others to list. They say you can’t always comeback home…but in terms of track you can..there’s always a lane for you.

To the overseers of track and field don’t take us for granted, you’ve got a generation of real ones, athletes who may be in the twilight of their lives, with children,  grand kids and even great grandkids. Masters athletes can be ambassadors of this sport because we can influence the generations in our own families and households. We spend thousands of dollars of our own money to travel, train, buy equipment and medical expenses. Some working through or coming back from serious or debilitating injuries and illness, yet we put “toe to the line” again and again because we love this sport.

To parents of young kids athletic or not, to those who may want to revisit the youthful and timeless joys of run, jump, throw, time has not passed you by, know there’s a community that will welcome you with open arms, support you and give you the outlet and opportunity to become whatever level athlete your genetics and determination will allow…that’s track and field…your gonna love it.

I mentioned in blog post #1, that I wasn’t a believer in the whole uniqueness thing. After catching up with a number of athletes I was right. There were numerous instances of comeback stories, from injuries,  major illnesses,  dealing with life’s interruptions, some being away as long or longer as I’d been. So this blog may be my story but it’s one of many. Another iteration another human story that spans age, race, sex, similar and yet different. But there’s something about us and this sport that brings us all back, to spend time, money, and risk injury to just run, jump, throw. Faster, higher, father, maybe for the first time, maybe again or maybe for one last time…..

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog, I’m not a professional writer by any means, my grammar and punctuation probably gave that away. For those who may have been offended by something I said, i only say if your willing to peek into the window of someone’s life, don’t be offended if you catch them dancing in their underwear. I’m just a guy writing his thoughts as they came to him pretty much unfiltered, but if it informed, inspired, entertained or just killed a little time when you were bored….that’s cool thanks for reading.

Not sure if Ill do another blog, though this was fun, if I do, at least I may have a name……..The Payback Chronicles?….yeah I’m petty like that.