George Mathews proposes award in Pataki’s honor
A couple weeks ago, as Lad Pataki was struggling with brain cancer, thrower and former USATF Masters T&F Chairman George Mathews sent a note to Lad via Lad’s close friend, Ed Burke. George wrote: “I have just returned from the Indoor Championships in Boston. I need to tell you that your presence was sorely missed. I know you have been unhappy with some of the treatment you have received from USATF and we are truly sorry for that. We want you to know that your fellow athletes love you and appreciate the tremendous contributions you have made to all of us over the years.”
George continued:
You have been a paragon of strength and a great example. Your performances have been the greatest we have ever seen and probably will never see again in the future. We know this and we will never forget.
Thank You for everything you have done. You are the greatest.
You may know that the National Weight Pentathlon will be held this year in Spokane, Washington.
We would like your permission to establish a perpetual award, The Lad Pataki award for the outstanding performance by an athlete at this meet from this year going forward. It would be a tremendous honor, to honor you into perpetuity. No one has ever exhibited you excellence in the throwing events and demonstrated the competitive zeal that you have shown. This award will symbolize what you stand for.
Thank You, Lad.
May God Bless You. Until we meet again.
Your Comrade in Sport,
George Mathews
That seems a fitting tribute for a thrower who dominated this event for many years.
Good idea, George. I hope Lad was able to appreciate the gesture.
Meanwhile, two-time Olympic hammer thrower Kevin McMahon (who turns 35 in May) circulated this note:
My days as a kid learning to throw with Ed, Mac (Wilkins) and Dr. Pataki were some of the best of my life.
When I was 16 and being introduced to the hammer throw by Ed Burke, his friend Dr. Pataki was instrumental in helping me understand this complex event. Yet, at the time, so much of what he shared with us seemed so unorthodox. For example, I can still remember one of his favorites exercises: the truly unique “who is stronger?” drill.
To explain, in this exercise you lock hands with another thrower and lean back as hard as you can while spinning around as quickly as possible – the athlete who pulls his partner forward is the winner. It really looked odd to me — and with Dr. Pataki shouting “who is stronger!” the whole time (in his great eastern European accent), you felt pretty goofy as well.
However, despite my awkwardness with it at the time — the drill truly worked. Just like in the hammer throw, the drill taught you that relaxing and sitting your body back is much more effective than merely trying to “muscle it.”
This was only one of dozens of ideas that Dr. Pataki shared with us — but more than this, through his ever-questioning example, we also learned to become students of the sport — to re-think our methods and to find new paths of improvement.
I am truly grateful for Dr. Pataki — his innovative example has had a life-long impact upon me.
Kevin
5 Responses
I second the motion for the award in Mr Pataki’s honor! More often than not the great athletes of our time are just laid to rest and then completly forgotten about with just relatives and close friends to cherish their memory and legacy.
Ed Burke conveyed to me that he believes Lad understood our request.
We will move ahead with plans for the awards. The Spokane Regional Sports Commission is helping support these awards.
George
The award would be a fitting tribute to a great athlete, marvelous technician and fierce competitor. All of us are pulling for Lad and miss him on the field.
Tom Fahey M 59
I think such an award is a great idea. many of us will miss him for more than one reason.
Milan
I had the pleasure of throwing with Lad at the Los Gatos all-comers in January of 2001 and he was a tremendous competitor and athlete. Even at the age of 54 he was able to toss the 16# shot 46′ and change. He was extremely nice to my Father by sitting and conversing with him for over an hour and a half after the throwing events had been done. Even though they had never met before, my Dad walked away from that meet feeling as if he had met an old friend. Lad, you will be missed here while on your journey, but hopefully the ones that knew you best, will keep the spirit of you alive in their hearts, minds and stories…
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