Earl Fee hurdles into national consciousness
Pete Taylor calls him “The Great Earl Fee.” And great the M75 Canadian is — at most middle-distance events (where he holds world age-group records). But he’s also a standout hurdler, and so that’s what we see in a new TV commercial that’s been broadcast in major sporting events, such as the PGA tournament at Pebble Beach.
But Earl is more than a taker of gold medals and world records. He’s a giver to the sport, who writes columns for National Masters News and books that share his secrets. (But NMN reports that Fee’s training opus, “How to be a Champion from 9 to 90,” is sold out. Oh well.)
But hurdling for Allianz Life’s admen took its toll, we’re told by Karla Del Grande, herself a Canadian and world age-group record holder (in the W50 indoor 400):
She writes:
“Earl suffered an injury during the filming of the ad. He jokes that the payment from the ad covered his physio afterwards. He is now doing great and preparing to be competing in Boise, where he will probably set more records. His second book has just been printed. The first one, How to Be a Champion from 9 to 90, is a great guide to track training. Can you tell that I’m a great fan of Earl’s?”
This isn’t the first time a champion hurdler has sacrificed for the camera.
A few years back, then-90-year-old Bert Morrow hurdled in the rain as part of a TV commercial. His ligament injuries took months to rehab.
Here’s hoping Earl will be poised for Boise — and more record-breaking exploits.
