The day before Guillermo Guzmán Magaña of Mexico City won the M50 hammer at Toronto WMA regionals in mid-August, he won a runoff race against Sandy Pashkin of Oregon. He replaced her as president of the North and Central America and Caribbean Region of World Masters Athletics. Sandy had been prez since 2012, when she succeeded Canada’s Brian Keaveney. Today, two weeks later, the NCCWMA website still doesn’t reflect that change (or other election results). Whatever. But I wrote Guillermo to learn his plans and history. He’s still learning English, but he provided lots of info, including the fascinating tidbits that he broke the Mexican national hammer record dozens of times, threw at two IAAF world meets and has a sister who competed in the 2004 Athens Games. Separately, I learned from a masters mole that New York’s Marilyn Mitchell was elected vice president of the region. Other officers: Secretary is Juan Ordoñez of Mexico. Treasurer is Norm Creen of Canada, Vice president stadia is Juan Figueroa of Mexico. Vice president nonstadia is Vern Christensen of Canada. Vice president combined events is Bill Murray of Alabama. Central America Representative is Magdalena Molina of Costa Rica. And Caribbean rep is Neyda Morales of Puerto Rico. Records chair and women’s rep are still TBD. Anyway, here’s what I got from Guillermo, who also won the weight throw at Toronto.

Results for Guillermo at Toronto regionals:

Event 194 M50 Hammer
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Name Age Team Finals Alternate
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1 Guzman, Guillermo M53 MEXICO 48.82m
2 *Edwards, Grant M54 AUSTRALIA 42.13m
3 Gautier, Paul M52 CANADA 41.59m
4 Eastham, Todd M50 UNITED STATES 37.42m

Event 209 M50 Weight Throw
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Name Age Team Finals Alternate
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1 Guzman, Guillermo M53 MEXICO 17.50m
2 Gautier, Paul M52 CANADA 16.54m
3 *Edwards, Grant M54 AUSTRALIA 16.32m
4 Eastham, Todd M50 UNITED STATES 13.97m

Here’s what Guillermo wrote (lightly edited):

I applied to be president of this NCCWMA region because I saw the need for this organization to be more democratic. We need Latino representatives, need everyone to participate in decision-making because historically this organization had only led by Canadians or Americans.

Today, as never before, there are four Mexicans who have gained a place in this organization, Puerto Rican athletes have also joined us Costa Rican, and we will invite to participate in the committees some Central American athletes.

I have very ambitious plans to grow masters athletics throughout the region, even in those countries that do not participate at all. Assemblies must be strictly in both Spanish and English languages.

About the Internet site: We are working to improve it. I can comment [about] great teamwork and coordination with our representatives from Central America and the Caribbean. We will make a wide dissemination so that everyone is interested in participating.

I am an entrepreneur, and I dedicate myself to the manufacture of sports equipment especially for sportsmen. You can search me on Facebook as Tensores Dinamicos para Entrenamiento Deportivo, dynamic tensors for sports training.

I studied [for] the civil engineering career. I’m a candidate for teachers degree.

I think Sandy has done a good job, but I and my partners want to do our best

I started athletics in my youth, being champion of Mexico in the hammer throw. In 1986, I broke the Mexican hammer record of 59 meters [193-7]. I continued to break it for a total of 37 times until leaving it at 71.46 [234-5].

I competed in two world championships — Tokyo 91 and Stuttgart 93, and also competed in the Pan American Games — fourth place in Havana 81 and fifth place in Mar del Plata. I also competed in four Central American and Caribbean games, achieving six medals — two of them in weightlifting. Also I threw weight and won second place in the Chase Millrose Games in New York.

In masters, I competed in the world championship of Porto Alegre Brazil obtaining a third place in hammer throwing and a second place in weight (35 pounds). I have a sister who competed in the Olympic Games of Athens 2004. I have two children who are also athletes — one of them throws hammer and the other is a sprinter.

As a masters athlete, I have two great moments — winning medals in the world [meet] and winning the election for president of NCCWMA. In 2012, I received the Mexican Commission of athletes masters. There were two rival groups, [and we] achieved unification. We created our website and our social networks. We managed to increase the level of participation of athletes to our events.

I want as president of this region to bring the sport to all countries that almost do not participate. We will renew our website and try to establish contact with the private initiative to finance the operation of our organization. Of course, not everything has been successful. I found some vices that existed.

We have been removing from our group the cheating people. There is no tolerance for them. And it has brought me problems that fortunately I have solved. Today I have a great leadership and all the athletes of Mexico recognize it. It is for that reason that I decided to look for the presidency of our region.

Today the NCCWMA is more democratic, like the norm we will have the Assemblies in English and Spanish.

Just FYI: The mission statement of NCCWMA is:

“To administer, maintain regional records, as well as foster and promote the development of masters’ athletics in North America, Central America and the Caribbean Region in accordance with World Masters Athletics (WMA) rules and procedures. To encourage international fellowship, understanding, and cooperation in athletics.”

Buena suerte to Guillermo and everyone on the NCCWMA board.