Marc (left) wins another silver medal—2/20/11

Marc has great style—5/08

I MADE IT THROUGH A MISERABLE DAY IN FORMERLY SUNNY ARIZONA. IT RAINED OFF AND ON ALL MORNING SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH. WE SHOWED UP AT 9 AM, WARMED UP AND THEN DID NOT GET TO THROW UNTIL 11:30. RINK WAS WET, MUSCLES COLD AND STIFF, SO I JUST STOOD AT THE FOUL BAR AND THREW WITH NO THREE STEP GLIDE, BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF PULLING MY CALF MUSCLE. I HAD ALREADY THROWN 33-34′ IN PRACTICE. WITHOUT THE APPROACH, I ONLY THREW 30′ WHEREAS THE WINNER THREW 32′. YET I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A SILVER MEDAL. THIS WAS THE NEW GROUP OF 70-74, SO I THREW AGAINST THE 13 GUYS IN THAT AGE GROUP. I TURNED 70 DEC 15, 2010.

THE BIG GUY WHO WON IS 70 ALSO. WHAT WAS DISAPPOINTING IS THAT I COULD HAVE OUT THROWN HIM AND GOTTEN MY FIRST GOLD MEDAL, BUT THE DELAY CAUSED MY MUSCLES TO TIGHTEN UP, AND I HAD A CRAMP IN MY LEFT CALF, SO I LET UP AND THOUGHT COMPETING WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WINNING. SO BE IT.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE THIRD PLACE FINISHER DID NOT GET TO THE AWARD CEREMONY, HE GOT HURT ON HIS THIRD THROW WHEN HE SLIPPED AND PULLED A MUSCLE AND DID NOT SHOW UP TO GET A MEDAL. TWELVE OTHER IDIOTS HUNG AROUND TO COMPETE, BECAUSE IT WAS AT GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF PHOENIX.

In an earlier story about Marc he said:

“I STARTED THROWING THE SHOT PUT AT NAUTILUS JR HIGH (MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA), BUT IN HIGH SCHOOL AT 5’6″ AND 160 LBS, I WAS TOLD I WAS TOO SMALL TO THROW THE SHOT.

IN THE EARLY NINETIES WHEN I TURNED 50, ST. LOUIS CREATED A SENIOR OLYMPICS, AND I STARTED THROWING THE SHOT COMPETITIVELY, AND I HAVE JUST KEPT DOING IT. I DO NOT COMPETE AGAINST THE OTHERS, BECAUSE ALL OF THEM ARE SO MUCH BIGGER THAN ME. I JUST COMPETE AGAINST MYSELF. BUT AS THEY DIE, BECOME UNABLE TO COMPETE OR JUST DROP OUT, LIKE THE ENERGIZER BUNNY, I JUST KEEP THROWING… AND BY THE TIME I AM 80, GOD WILLING, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE THE ONLY ENTRANT AND GET A GOLD MEDAL.

I DO WORK OUT DAILY DOING CARDIOVASCULAR AS A PART OF MY ROUTINE, AND THEN I MIX IN SMALL TO MEDIUM WEIGHTS FOR MUSCLE TONE AND STRENGTH, OF WHICH I HAVE NEITHER.