Archive for October, 2010

Joanna Harper’s moving story: She changed from male to female

Joanna Harper, a race organizer and contributor to this blog, has told an amazing story on Carmel Papworth-Barnum’s website, WomenRunningTogether.com. Until 2005, Joanna wouldn’t have qualified for Carmel’s site. She was a man. Now she’s a woman, and Joanna becomes the second transgender masters athlete I’ve known. The other has competed in several national masters […]

October 12, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Raschker on nude shoot: ‘I experienced several positive emotions’

Phil Raschker has been there and done it all. All except pose nude for a national sports magazine. Since her involvement in ESPN the Magazine’s second annual Body Issue has triggered some stark reactions, I sent Phil some shameless questions. Bottom line from Phil: “It was a terrific experience, probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This week […]

October 11, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  27 Comments

M90 world sprint icon Sansonetti stars again in Italian TV ad

M90 sprint god Ugo Sansonetti, who once appeared in a popular Coca-Cola commercial, is back as a TV star in Italy. This time his part promotes a margarine. But a great storytelling commercial depicts him as an old man unappreciated. Then when a baby carriage starts zooming downhill, Ugo zooms after it. Classic.

October 10, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Phil Raschker in Garden of Eden? See ESPN the Magazine

The current issue of ESPN the Magazine is creating a buzz in Mastersland. It has a pictorial series showing naked athletes in “The Body Issue.” Masters are in the mix, including our own Phil Raschker. At 63, she’s not even the oldest athlete pictured (see No. 16). Masters swimmer Jeff Farrell is shown at age […]

October 9, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  21 Comments

Huntsman Games were tragic for couple of high school students

Masters athletes witnessed the lightning strike that left two students in critical condition at the Huntsman World Senior Games. Barry Warmerdam, a javelin thrower, wrote yesterday: “The track competition was held on the campus of Snow Canyon High School, but the first day of the competition, Monday, was mostly postponed due to multiple lightning strikes […]

October 8, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Results trickling out for the 2010 Huntsman World Senior Games

Haven’t had time to review all the results, but this week’s track meet up in Utah seems to have had some great competition. See results here for the so-called Huntsman World Senior Games. (They’re not affiliated with WMA or the National Senior Games Association, I don’t think.) Jim Barrineau won the M55 high jump at […]

October 7, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Aussies Crombie and Kay named IAAF Masters of the Year

Australians Peter Crombie and Marie Kay have been named IAAF Masters Athletes of the Year, reports World Masters Athletics. Peter, a dominating M65 sprinter at Sacramento nationals, and Marie, a record-setting W50 multi-eventer, will be flown to Monaco for the IAAF Gala on November 21. This is the first time in the five-year history of […]

October 5, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

WMA needs to sort out holy mess that is Indian masters athletics

Last year and this, we wrote here about the competing masters track overseers in India. The WMA affiliate is acting like a banana republic, dictating who can attend major international masters meets. Of course, a little money will grease the skids. Well, nothing has changed. As proof, check out this story about Indian athletes trying […]

October 5, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Gary Patton’s goal: Be best M65 runner and eventually top M95

Michael Brauer of the Sioux City Journal wrote a nice profile of M65 middle-distance runner Gary Patton, only a week after Gary underwent hernia surgery. Good for Gary. That’s in the rearview mirror as he preps for Sacramento worlds. Gary says: “My kids are thoroughly convinced that when they’re in their 60s and semi-retired, they’ll […]

October 4, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Club offering its national-rankers a cheaper ride to Cleveland

With that most imaginative headline — “Going for the gold” — the Charlotte Observer tells the story of the Carolinas Track Club and its plans for masters nationals in 2011. Not much noteworthy except this little nugget: “For the first time, (the club) will charter a bus and split the cost with its athletes. For […]

October 3, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments