Kathy (and Bert at last) Bergen featured in the Los Angeles Times
Our friend Kathy Bergen, the world champion and WR sprinter/jumper, has been the focus of many news stories. The Los Angeles Times profiled her back in 2010. But hubby Bert has been in the background. Not so Friday, though. He gets deserved attention in yet another L.A. Times story. Sayeth the Times, recalling how he got Kathy into the Senior Olympics: “I said to Kathy, ‘Why don’t we go?’ I kidded her, saying ‘You could run — anyone could run.’ And so, then at the respective ages of 54 and 56, Kathy and Bert Bergen competed in the 1994 Pasadena Senior Games. He participated in the long jump and the high jump, an event in which he’d excelled in high school, while she competed in the 50- and 100-meter running events.” The rest is masters history.
Bert watches one of the jumpers he works with on the St. Francis High School track team. Los Angeles Times photo by Tim Berger
Another thing I liked about the story (actually written for the La Cañada Valley Sun by Sara Cardine): The looking-forward-ness.
Not news to us, but nice to see:
The pair did pretty well and within a couple of years, with a win or two under their belts, they came to enjoy the thrill of competition and the natural good sportsmanship that exists among high jumpers, in particular.
“The exciting thing for us is when you age up, because then you’re the new kids,” said Bert Bergen, who moves up to the 80-to-84 age group next year. “Our attitude is we’re going to keep doing this as long as we can do it.”
“I age up in three years, and I can’t wait,” Kathy Bergen said, adding with a smile, “I’ll break all the records when I’m 80.”
4 Responses
You two are the best, in every way !
Wait a minute or more…. you do plan on breaking the steeplechase record?> Talk to the current record holder….
Other than that, I do recall our first meeting at Oxy so very well. Did comment on that race already.
And yes, it is so great to be friends with the two of you., your house or ours!!That’s what it is all about. Luckily, we will never be in the same age group. So there.
See you in a few weeks.
Love photographing Kathy in the sprints, but her HJ is something else. Zen-like calm between jumps and then she just nails it.
Bergen, Bet may be a great hi jumper and for an old fella like him that is certainly sensational . Heirs however on of the worst Golfers. I know this to be true because I have always been worse than him as we played together the last time about 45 years ago. He is the finest gentleman on this earth and I am proud to call him my friend.
…Tom McMenamin Worldchampion Nothing Friend of Bert and Kathi Bergen.
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