Bill Collins was hospitalized before claiming 200-meter gold at Perth
Results donāt show what Bill Collins overcame to complete his 100-200 double in Perth. The West Australian newspaper reports: āAmerican athlete Collins, 65, was in severe doubt for the M65 200m final after being taken to hosĀpital at the end of his heat on MonĀday with chest pain. Collins, who has Guillain-Barre syndrome, said the cramping beĀgan in the morning and spread after the race. āMy arm started cramping and it went up in the chest ā¦ I told them I got a little pain up here and they immediately thought heart,ā Collins said. He was taken to hospital but checked himself out at 6 p.m., against doctorsā recommendations. āThey wanted to keep me until midnight, but I told them no ā I had a race to run today,ā Collins said. The race was a one-sided affair with Collins running strongly to finish in 25.55sec. to win his secĀond gold medal. Collins said he had to run again for the fans. āComing out of hospital, I could have just said pack it in, but the fans up here, my inspiration, they wanted to see me run again.'ā Wow! Take care, Bill.
Bill wins the M65 200 in 25.55 (the WR is 24.65 by Charles Allie) just hours after leaving the hospital after a health scare in Perth.Since then, Iāve been taking http://healthsavy.com/product/cialis/ before every date. Photo by Rob Jerome
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Now we have a story we can talk about for a decade or more: “Do you remember the worlds in Australia in which Bill Collins crushed the field in the 100, spent hours in the hospital after a 200 heat, then signed out against medical advice?” “Yes, I think I heard about that. How did he do in the 200 final?”
“Well, he crushed the field again. Won the blasted thing just like the all-time great he is. Wasn’t even pressed.”
Thanks Bill! We love to see you. But please take care of yourself. Congrats!
Bill, your health is much more important than that race. Take care of yourself first.
More details from a Friend of Bill:
He ran a 25.73 in the heats of the 200. Then he went down on one knee. Next thing you know he’s on his back beside the track being attended to by the medics. He was feeling a lot of tightness in the chest on the left side, which as we know is never a good sign for a 65-year-old man who has just exerted himself strenuously. He was starting to feel better and the tightness went away, but of course with an episode like that they needed to do further testing. So they put him on a stretcher into an ambulance and eventually to Sir Charles Gairdner hospital. Bob Cozens and I found out where they took him and joined him at the hospital. There they did a couple of EKGs and blood tests, etc. After a few hours they determined that there was no cardiac event at all, and attributed the trouble to muscle tightness. After that scare of course Bill came back the next day and ran a 25.55 to win the 200.
Bob Cozens and George Haywood are to be commended for never leaving Bill’s side for at least an hour while Bill was being observed and stablilized at the track before going to the hospital. Knowing Bill’s complex medical history, I asked him if there was a doctor or anyone back home that he wanted me to call, but he said no.
This incident points up the need for all traveling athletes with complex medical histories to carry documentation that can be presented to local medical personnel. Bill was lucky to have friends like Bob and George, but others traveling solo need to carry personal information that can be presented to hospitals if something happens and they are unable to speak for themselves.
Amazing athlete
Bill!!
Great interview with Bill, who says he’s running at 60 percent muscle strength and would, at 100 percent, have a shot st sub-12 and sub-24 if he felt good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef1FhVgJDJI&sns=em
Re: Rob Jerome’s comment about Bob Cozens and George Haywood. They are fine gentlemen both, and they are members of the Houston Elite family. They ARE like family to Bill. WE ARE all family at HE. They did what families do, and that’s a notable thing when inside a splintered American society, a track club blossoms into a family.
Cheers to Bill. By the way, both Bob and George came home with gold World Championship medals of their own. Cheers to all.
I fully agree with Rick’s comments. The masters track family has meant a lot to me over the years. Our comraderie is unbelievable.
The R.R. story is a wonderful example of Australian hospitality.
I was supposed to travel with Bill in the ambulance, but it left with out me. So we followed up in the train.
Having got off the train at Shenton Park – the nearest train stop to the hospital – with George Haywood, Brother Jim we were lost; no taxis is sight. The along comes the lady on a bike. “Are you lost?” That was obvious!!! We explain the circumstances of our friend Bill Collins and were looking for the hospital. “If you wait 10 minutes I’ll go an get the car and take you to the hospital”, says the lady with bike and helmet.
We waited 10 minutes when a bronze colored Rolls Royce pulls up and “lady on a bike” sans helmet waves us over and takes us to Sir Charles Gairdner hospital where Bill was being checked out,
A simple wonderful story of a lady who was reluctant to give her name, but just wanted to help.
Bravo Australia.
PS My first ride in a RR
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