Three months ago, Hurricane Katrina changed the lives of millions. One of them was M60 decathlete Robert Baker of Metairie, Louisiana, who told a story of tragic sadness. This week, I asked him for an update on his home and circumstances. Thankfully, he has some good news.

Robert writes:
“Since August 29, life has been almost totally different for me, for most of the people I’ve known from the past and those I’ve met recently. Most generally agree the hurricane and flooding have defined our lives more profoundly than any other thing, perhaps similar to the impact of the Depression for our parents and grandparents.
“The initial reports indicating my house was under water were not true, thankfully. The house had relatively minor damage, but the surrounding trees took a pounding and had to be removed. We are so fortunate compared to most others. Many areas of New Orleans look like the aftermath of a horrific war battle. Or a place deserted for about 50 years. Or a place about 10 miles from an area that was nuked. The devastation is so significant I think it will take at least a decade for the city to recover.
“I walked along what used to be a street 100 meters below the 17th Street Canal. The house that was directly behind the breach is no longer there. On other houses on that street one can’t even see a water line because the water reached the roofs. In other areas on higher ground one can see brown water lines ringing the houses at three or five or seven feet. If you went into those homes the smell of mold alone would be suffocating.
“Many people gutted their homes and piled the trash outside. Most areas looked like a giant garbage dump, but little by little the debris is being cleared and in some places, for example, my street, it is beginning to look normal again. But then again I live in the suburbs.
“I doubt New Orleans will ever be the same again but I don’t think that is necessarily bad. It just might be smaller, cleaner, and safer. I think that in Chinese crisis also means opportunity, and this certainly presents the residents of this area an opportunity to redo just about everything.
“The clinic where I work continued to operate on a scaled down version for a month after the hurricane but is now back to full time capacity. However, I have decided to take an early retirement for several reasons, one being that I’ve been there over thirty years and I’m ready to do something else. Also, my wife and I own a ServiceMaster franchise which deals with flood and fire restoration, and the business survived the storm and flooding. Needless to say, we’ve been quite busy and my time and skills are needed there.
“Being in this business has put us in very intimate contact with many people, homes, buildings and companies, and allowed us to hear and witness things we would no otherwise have experienced. We’ve been able to help many people begin the process of restoring their lives to pre-storm levels.
“My track and field training has certainly taken a hit. Other than being extremely busy at work, one impediment has been a lack of training facilities. Health clubs have been closed until recently. At the track, there are no vaulting or high jump pits. City park track is okay except that it is difficult to see the track lines because everything is covered in a light gray dust, and a giant tree limb covers 5 of the 8 lanes half way down the straightway to the finish line. When I go out to the track to run, on many days no one else is there. I’ve yet to see any of my track buddies. I’ve heard most are in different cities now.
“But will I compete in 2006? Absolutely! It’s in my blood, so one way or another I’ll be at some of the meets. The disaster could not diminish my desire to run, jump, throw, compete and see my friends. Just as the city will eventually come back, so will I. Hopefully, both of us will be better than before.”
Me again:
Decathletes are among the toughest folks around, and Robert is proving he’s among the strongest — in spirit as well as physical strength. Thank you, Robert, for your report and inspiration. God bless and godspeed.