Olympic Heros

[Motu]

Seeing as it's Olympic time,I thought I'd tell you about the customer who came into see me today - his name is Neville Scott.When I first met him he wasn't too happy - they had just diagnosed him as having liver cancer,he needed to talk about it,so I listened to his story.I didn't know what to say really,as I had just lost an aunty to liver cancer 2 weeks before,and would lose another 2 weeks later.He was saying most of his mates from his younger days had all had cancer,I asked what they were doing that might cause it - he said he didn't know,but they were all runners...one of his best mates from those days had just recovered from cancer....his name is Murry Halberg.

If you haven't already guessed,Neville Scott is an Olympic athlete,representing New Zealand in the 1956 Melbourne and 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games and the 1958 Cardiff Commonweath Games where he won a Bronze Medal in the 3 mile,2nd fastest time by a New Zealander after Murry Halberg.I used to know Murry Halberg,he was our local whiteware salesman and I serviced his car and tested it for Wofs,a nicer guy you couldn't meet,totally unassuming,that he had schools,awards and trusts named after him you wouldn't know.Neville Scott is the same,if he hadn't been a bit shell shocked by bad news I might of never found out who he was.

Athletes in those days were a different breed from those we have now,they worked day jobs and trained in their own time,sure,they were reinbursed for the times they represented their country and their employers were very lenient with giving them extended leave,but no Government grants,no sponsership,no training in overseas countries - they were true amature athletes,no millionaires in this group.

He comes in today and I say ''hey,you're lookin pretty good,you didn't look too hot last time I saw you''....'yeah,and I'm feeling pretty good too,I've been playing golf ' he often goes for a round of golf while his car is in,one time he said he was going up the hill to the mall while I did his WoF...I was a bit tardy because it would take him a while to do that walk - but he was back sooner than I expected....'it started to rain so I ran back' he said!!! He was given 9 to 12 months to live - that was two and a half years ago and although it's obvious that he's not well,you wouldn't pick him out as a cancer patient from anyone else in the street.In the time I have known him my own mother was diagnosed with cancer and she passed away a few weeks ago - I told her about Neville Scott and she often used to ask about him and how he was doing.

Anyway - I just wanted to say I am honoured to have known this great man who has represented our country at the highest level in his chosen sport - he's not famous,I doubt many of you recognised the name and even when I told you it still rung no bells - but he didn't do it for fame and fortune,but for love of his sport and trying to be the best.I hope I get to see him a for a few more times,he's not the type to give in easily.

[vifferman]

(What else is there to say? Oh yeah - sorry to hear about your Mum and Aunties, Motu.)

[jrandom]

That's a great story, and a good reminder of what things SHOULD be about.

I was going to post links to a series of articles about steroids in competitive sport, but this is so much better.

Perhaps I'll leave it be.

[Hitcher]

A great reminder of a humbler more gentle age. And don't some people get some shitty breaks.

[James Deuce]

The thing that has impressed my with these games is the small number of World Records that have been broken. I'm hoping that the drugs vigilance that the IOC has adopted recently is doing it's job.

Sorry about your Mum and Aunties, Motu.

Nice post.

[toads]

Hi Motu, sorry to hear about your Mum and Aunties , cancer is a heinous illness, Pete's Mum had cancer and died only 6 weeks from diagnosis, I have to agree with you that the sportsmen and women that represented our country were definately a different breed 40 years ago, it's a very sad indictment on us as a whole that everything comes down to money these days. Virtues such as patriotism, clean living and courage seem to be very unpopular these days.

[LB]

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.Thanks for sharing this Motu, it's a really special story.

Sympathies on your losses. It's never easy, and of course as we get older we lose more of those who we love.

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