Top USATF official Carroll DeWeese battling prostate cancer

Last year, Carroll DeWeese wore an orange vest in Lahti and a green shirt at nationals. At WMA worlds, he served as a safety judge. At Landover and Oshkosh, he was a member of the oversight Games Committee. And sometimes he sports a dress shirt as USATF Masters T&F Committee treasurer. Amid all these thankless chores, he’s quietly been tackling a bigger challenge: prostate cancer. He had an inkling about his illness months before worlds, but still excelled there; and he joined the U.S. delegation in voting for fellow Midwesterner Rex Harvey in the WMA presidency election. When I heard about the cancer last week, I sent Carroll some questions. To his credit (and my relief), he didn’t slam me for invasion of privacy. In fact, he’s a wide-open book. I pray that his M65 body is as strong as his candid nature.

Amid awareness of cancer risk, Carroll performed his officiating duties at Lahti worlds last summer. (Photo by Ken Stone)


Here is my Q&A with Carroll, whose athletic background amazed me:

Masterstrack.com: What kind of cancer and what stage?

Carroll DeWeese: I have “high risk” prostate cancer. The “risk” refers to the risk of dying, not of having cancer. All the doctors agree that that at least a 30 percent chance exists that the cancer has already spread beyond the prostate area.

Carroll took second at an RRCA National Championships.

How long have you known about it?

In April 2009, I had a biopsy. Out of 18 samples, only one contained any evidence of possible cancer. It was less than 1 mm in size. I went into a “watchful waiting” mode. In December 2009, a second biopsy revealed that the cancer was aggressive and rapidly spreading. Five of six samples on one side of the prostate had cancer, including two with Gleason scores of 8. It was diffuse and some was on the edges of the prostate, indicating that it may have already spread in the area beyond the prostate.

What’s being done about it?

In order to starve out the cancer, I am taking daily female hormones for at least two years, possibly a lifetime. This is to block all the testosterone in my body, which the cancer cells need to grow. This is to kill cancer cells that may have already spread throughout my body. I had high-dose internal radiation, in which over two days 18 small tubes are placed into the prostate and radiation is precisely inserted and removed to kill the prostate cells.

I am also now undergoing five weeks of daily external beam radiation on weekdays to weaken and kill any cancer cells in the area around the prostate. I am a member of a “high risk” cancer study that is tracking all my progress and treatments for at least the next 10 years.

Prostate surgery was not a viable option due to the high risk of the cancer already spreading, and I would still have to have female hormones and radiation anyway. By not having the surgery, my body can better tolerate all the other treatments.

Carroll ran the steeple at the 1995 WAVA world masters championships.

Will this affect your tenure as Masters Committee treasurer?

I took the job because no one else was willing. I expect to complete my term. Once the radiation is over, I should be able to travel overnight and away from home. Otherwise I am very active, even with the treatments. I should see you this summer.

Where do you live and what’s your day job?

I live in Birmingham, Michigan. I have been retired from General Motors for the last six years. I do lots of volunteer work. I am an officer in my residents association. I am a member of the Birmingham Planning Board. I do photography work for the Birmingham Eccentric, the Birmingham Historical Museum, the Birmingham Baldwin Library, Oakland County and other groups. I do lots of athletics officiating and administration in the U.S., Canada and internationally.

In 1998, he helped officiate the Nike World Masters Games in Eugene.


Married? Kids? Cats or dogs?

I have been married for 41 years. My wife, Pam, and I have two adult children, but no grandchildren. Our son is an out-of-work interior architect in Brooklyn, NY. Our daughter teaches high school English in Denver. Her husband works in investor relations for a gold mining company. Pam and I have one cat and one dog.

What’s your track background?

I ran the mile my senior year of high school. I started after track season had already begun and went from study hall and no conditioning. As I recall, I ran a 4:54 mile at the last meet of the season and took sixth in District and got a track letter. My times were dropping 20-30 seconds every week.

Looking back, I probably had the ability of a low 4-minute miler. I did not run again until about 40 years of age. I did lots of road races and was soon one of the top age-group runners in our area. When I was about 50, my running club, the Motor City Striders, asked me to lead the racing team.

I looked around for championships and did not find many road championships. On the other hand, I saw many opportunities for track championships. We took the team to track championships and I started running track again. I tried everything from sprints to distances and settled on middle distances.

My first national track championship was as a member of a 4Ă—800 meter relay team at Columbia, Mo., at the USATF National Masters Indoor Championships. My first individual national track championship was winning the steeplechase at the USATF National Masters Outdoor Championship in East Lansing, MI, in 1995.

He carried the Olympic flame in Indianapolis for the 2002 Salt Lake City torch relay.

I had never even jumped a hurdle four months prior to the competition. A couple of weeks later, I took seventh in the steeplechase at the World Masters Championships at Buffalo, N.Y. The following year I tore the ACL off the bone while defending my national steeplechase championship. I have only competed occasionally since in order to maintain my active-athlete status. While recovering, I shifted my focus to helping my athletic peers by officiating.

In 1994, I became the USATF Michigan masters chair in order to get more opportunities for our team to have meets to participate. In 1995, I became a certified official in order to help cover a shortage of officials at the USATF National Masters Championship held at East Lansing in 1995. Due to organizational problems at the meet, I became the de facto meet director, the records person, the awards presenter, and still won my steeplechase championship.

My crisis-management skills came to the attention of others. I quickly moved up through the ranks of officials. In 1996, I was the track and field referee of my first national championship – the USATF National Masters Indoor Championship in Boston. This was followed by many years of key officiating position in major meets.

In 2005, besides being a referee, I became the acting IAAF technical delegate of the World Masters Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – my first meet in charge of a major international competition. This led to my being asked to become a member of the WMA Non-Stadia Committee, which advises the WMA Council on all athletics events held outside of stadiums (road races, cross country, ultra, mountain, race walk, etc.).

I am a member of the USATF Officials Rules Committee. Besides being a USATF official, I am a Canadian Athletics official, where I have officiated at the Canadian Olympic Trials and other major meets in Canada. In addition, I am an IAAF, USATF, and International Paralympics Committee National Technical Official (NTO). I have overseen major meets as part of my NTO responsibilities. Besides USATF Masters treasurer, I am a member of the USATF Masters Track and Field Games Committee.

Is photography a serious hobby for you? Have any images online?

As mentioned earlier, I am an active photographer and many of my pictures end up getting published in some form or other. I do not have any images online, except “private” ones that I send to people.

Last August, Carroll sat with Gary Snyder (center) and other members of the U.S. delegation at the WMA General Assembly. (Photo by Ken Stone)

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March 21, 2010

8 Responses

  1. christel donley - March 21, 2010

    Of all the stories on the blog, this is one I DID NOT WANT TO READ. AND YET…

    CARROLL, I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER
    AND THE KNOWLEDGE IN MODERN MEDICINE.

    YOU ARE IN OUR PRAYERS, RIGHT NOW.

    CHRISTEL
    YOU GET YOUR HUG IN BOSTON,

  2. peter taylor - March 21, 2010

    In this ultramodern world we often forget about some of the old-fashioned virtues. In this case I am thinking of courage — clearly, Carroll, you have this in abundance, and it is serving you well now and will serve you well in the future. Best to you and my hopes for many happy years to come.

    Peter Taylor

  3. al cestero - March 21, 2010

    you will be in my prayers…often times officials are the unworthy recipients of negative attitudes …somethings i’ve seen firsthand. you have excelled in your field, both on and off the track. the courage that pete mentions, will, no doubt, have an effect on your battle, as well as the lives of those who read about you…albert

  4. Eugene Anton - March 22, 2010

    Many people walk in and out of our lives, but only the truly remarkable leave a positive mark on us. I have to say Carroll, you are one of those people and SHALL BE for a VERY long time. You have been the champion of masters hurdling and I wanted you to know that we are pulling for you.

  5. Carroll DeWeese - March 22, 2010

    I appreciate the kind words of support. Whatever happens, I will be okay. I am very happy, content, and appreciative of life. One of the great privileges of this disease is experiencing the support of others and knowing that one’s life has been and is having a meaningful, positive impact. I hope that each of you will experience contentment in your life. Whatever challenges that you face, may each of you have the internal resources to deal with them and not let them become your master. May your lives be free and open and not dominated by fear, distrust, or anxiety. Take the lessions that you have learned in being a successful athlete and apply them to the rest of your life. Each of you is a role model for someone else. Over the years, I have learned much from each of you. May all of our lives be a beacon of light for others. For those of you that are planning to go to the 2010 MTF Outdoor Championships, I should see you there.

  6. George Mathews - March 22, 2010

    Carroll, thanks for all you have done for the sport and me personally. You are a true Champion and your contributions have been very significant. Our prayers are with you in this battle that are going through. God Speed to a Great Friend.
    Blessings, George

  7. Ty - April 30, 2010

    Carroll, thank you for inspiring us with your courage, and for your wise words. For showing that we can overcome hurdles, and be contented even amidst difficulties.

    and thank you for being open about cancer. i hope a lot of people will learn from your experience.

  8. Susan Carmichael - October 18, 2010

    Hello Pam and Carroll – i look forward to meeting you! Cousin by marriage to Pam

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