Neni Lewis crushes W50 weight-throw records while battling injuries
My apologies to throwers everywhere! I neglected to highlight a WR by Neni Lewis at Eastern Regionals on Sunday. Neni graciously writes: “I did up the (W50) world record in the weight throw to 17.29 meters (56-8 3/4) at the East Regional Championships January 29 in Providence. The paperwork was filled out for it and will be submitted. Unfortunately, I just realized yesterday that I upped the American record in the Super Weight several times, but for some reason I thought it was 12.49 when in fact it was 11.72 (38-5 1/2). My best throw for the day was 12.17 (39-11 1/4). Hopefully I’ll do it again. I just missed the American record in the shot put with a throw of 12.65 (41-6) and the record is 12.66.”
Neni lets her fly at 2009 Oshkosh masters nationals, despite series of injuries.
Neni continues:
I was pleased overall since I am recovering from a fall off a ladder in which I injured my back and the hip that I had surgery on. I was afraid that I would have to undergo more surgery on the hip after the fall but it is just a matter of being patient & taking my time to heal.
Also I am dealing with a problem with spinal stenosis where the twisting movement at the end of the hammer and weight throw creates a numbing, electric and tingling sensation throughout my whole body. The paralyzing sensation makes it difficult to walk and move after a throw with the weight and hammer. My surgeon suggested that I should consider giving up the throwing events but for now I will throw for as long as I can and try to figure out a different technique that will have less impact.
Neni is amazing, and her Masters Hall of Fame career is a long series of comebacks from major injury and illness.
Please join me in wishing her success in pulling off another miracle. She’s one of our greats.
9 Responses
Congratulations to Neni Lewis
I’ll send this to my LC Luzern-team mate Mägy Duss, W50-thrower, to inspire her for more training!
congratulations neni ! nice going…!!!
Congratulations!
Keep learning beyond the physical limitations and keep throwing.
Congratulations to Neni, and to all of the other people in the weights. My wife asked me what was going on “behind that cage,” because it seemed like every time anyone threw, the place erupted with cheers and support. Nice to see such a strong turnout of people in the throws, and such enthusiasm. This was a very well-run meet in a great facility. It was mostly New England competitors on the track. Don’t know if the meet will be in Providence next year, but if it is, it’s worth the trip if you live in another region.
Simply the “best of the best”
Way to go Neni !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way to start the indoor season. It can only get better.
Joe Kessell
Rich,
Thanks for the kind words! We will be back to that venue next year. Some years it will be a combined East Region & New England Championships and other years the New England Championships. Depends on the desire of other associations to hold the Regional. The last Sunday in January is the date.
Mike Travers
co-meet director
USATF-NE Masters TF Chair
Hi Mike. Thanks to you and USATF-NE for putting on a great meet. I know that this is easier said than done, but it would be fantastic if the East Region meet truly became a summit for the associations in the region. It could become a destination meet like the nationals, without the airfare and several-day commitment. It would be so cool if this became a true Northeast event, with bigger turnouts from NY, NJ, Mid-Atlantic, etc. We all want top competition!
Rich,
I couldn’t agree more. On all counts. Mike, Steve and the NE Association did an excellent job on Sunday in a great facility.
The unfortunate fact is though that the regional championships are almost never truly regional. Most competitors come from within about a 4 hour drive of the venue no matter where it is and no matter how many competitors there are. It has been true for the indoor and the outdoor meets alike around the country. How to change it is a conundrum that we haven’t been able to solve. We hoped that adding a team championship would help, but the top teams seem to come from within a very small radius of the venue whether it’s in Adirondack, Mid-Atlantic, New England, New Jersey, or Potomac Valley — the associations that have hosted the indoor or outdoor championships for the past five or six years.
The result is that we try to move both the indoor and outdoor championships around the East Region – a region that stretches from the Virgina suburbs of Washington to the Canadian border, from the Pennsylvania-Ohio border to Maine.
The outdoor meet this year will be at Howard Community College in Columbia, MD, 20 minutes from BWI airport (served by three budget carriers with good networks in the East Region — Air Tran, Jet Blue and Southwest). The dates are Saturday and Sunday, July 14-15.
Next year either the indoor or the outdoor meet is slated to be in the Niagara Association (final decision pending on which it will be).
Jerry Bookin-Weiner
East Region Masters Coordinator
As a Mid-Atlantic Association member I skipped the five hour drive and flew to Boston and drove back to Providence. I saw many of my Philadelphia Masters teammates as well was a good representation from Potomac Valley which is a seven hour drive. The facility is great and the officials do a great job.
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