By Volunteer James Irwin
After the novelty and
uncertainty of day one, the Mary Peters Track sprang to life this morning as if
it plays host to the World Police and Fire Games every day. The Games bubble
has enveloped everyone involved; suddenly, normal life, with its pedestrian
struggles, seems less important.
The Games have found their
groove: a fast-paced rhythm of event after event punctuated by starter pistols,
engaging commentary and the undulating hum and applause of watching crowds. It
is wonderfully easy to immerse yourself in it. Pick any event around the arena
and you can find something to cheer, inspire or, in most cases, something to
make you feel hopelessly inadequate.
The 64 year old former police
officer who won 100m gold in his age category, cutting half a second from his
personal best in the process, for example. Or indeed any of the competitors in
the 60 years and over categories, setting times and distances worthy of men and
women half their age. Aren’t we supposed to get slower and weaker as we age?
Suddenly my personal ‘journey’ from 20-a-day smoker to regular runner, akin to
one American spectator I spoke to today, feels simultaneously insignificant in
comparison but also necessary and something to be built on. Just recalling
these so-called ‘old’ competitors with their athleticism, fitness and general
wellbeing should be enough to dispel any risk of falling off the running wagon.
Setting the standard for the
seniors is Victoria State Police veteran Valma Walsh. Valma is competing in her
seventh World Police and Fire Games and comes to Belfast to defend four titles.
Today she took part in the 5k walk and in the coming days will throw the
javelin and discus among her other events. She turns 80 tomorrow.
Speaking to me after the
walk, Valma told me about her varied career, spending time in the army,
training as a nurse, joining the police, leaving when “promotion was too slow”,
then rejoining as a nurse officer and moving up steadily until she retired.
Combined with her sporting achievements and friendly nature, hers is a life
that encapsulates the maxim that it is what you make of it.
Also among the sickeningly
brilliant athletes today was Brant Gray. Brant, a charismatic officer in the
Los Angeles Police Department, can safely be dubbed the fastest man of the
Games, almost effortlessly sealing gold in the 100m with a time of 10.88s. His
compatriots Jennifer Kowacz and Sara Shisslak, firefighters in Phoenix,
Arizona, were not to be outdone, both sealing gold medals in their respective
age groups at the hammer throw. Indeed Sara is now looking ahead to taking part
in the Toughest Competitor Alive event next week. No further explanation
required on that one.
Through the day many people
followed the progress of Brendan McConville as he sailed through day two of the
decathlon. Brendan, a firefighter at Knock in east Belfast, was winning
overnight and looking to convert that lead into a home gold medal. The natural
theatre provided by the terraced hills delivered a charged and involving
atmosphere as Brendan put in an imperious display to win all five second-day
events.
His day began with a solid
win in the 100m hurdles and continued with a comfortable triumph in the pole
vault. Then followed his best throws in years in the discus and javelin. It
ended with a ruthless crushing of the field in the 1500m, Brendan clearly
running for points and not just the victory, with the gold beyond any doubt by
that stage. A fantastic victory was topped off by receiving his medal from his
idol and former trainer Mike Bull, the local bodybuilding and fitness guru and
previous Commonwealth champion.
Another fascinating aspect of
these Games is watching people attempting to overcome monumental language
barriers when trying to interact. As I listened to Germans speaking with
Spaniards, Danes with Brazilians, it became evident that sport can be a
powerful bridge between cultures and countries. After only two days, athletes are
swapping contact details and vowing to pay overseas visits to each other’s
homelands. Belfast, it seems, is a great place to make lifelong friends.
Find out about tomorrow at
Track & Field: http://www.2013wpfg.com/2013-sports/track-field
What a great day. Really was Super Saturday
ReplyDeleteLoving this blog! feel like I was actually there.
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