I love to hear how the GREATS are doing and to know that John Walker is 'managing' his illness is really good to know.
Of course it goes without saying what high regard I held Walker in as a lad, he was the No. 1 in the World, and in time I got to learn what phenomenal athletes Peter Snell and Murray Halberg were. The link is here
Anyone want to win a point for naming the bearded Pommie in the photo below?
Three of the country's running royalty shared a stage for the first time ever last night.
Murray Halberg, Peter Snell and John Walker share many traits, five Olympic gold medals between them now the distinction of the word 'Sir' before their names.
The three took part in a charitable dinner for 200 guests benefitting the charities linked to the trio -- The Halberg Trust, Parkinson's Auckland and John Walker's Find Your Field of Dreams.
Walker, the first man to break 3:50 for the mile and the 1976 Olympic 1500m champion, told stuff.co.nz it had been an honour to share the stage with the two athletes who had been role models for him as a young runner in New Zealand.
"Peter for me growing up was an inspiration," said Walker of the man who would win three Olympic golds in 1960 and '64.
"I was only a young boy of 13 when he was running in Tokyo. I read his book No Bugles, No Drums, and that was the Bible as far as I was concerned.
"I had it by my bed and I used to read it all the time because I sort of modelled myself on Peter; not wanting to be like him, but just because he ran the mile, and he also he ran the Waiataruas and all the courses I used to train on.
"It was a great inspiration, and then finally to meet him many years after that, and then go over to his residence at Davis University before the Olympics where I read all his diaries and stayed with him for two weeks... I really got to know him quite well."
Walker says Halberg, gold medallist in the 500m at the 1960 Games in Rome, inspired him in a different way.
"Murray was just sheer guts, determination... all through his life everything he's done has been exactly the same. He's been single-minded. He had his disability, and to win like he did was great."
Snell yesterday acknowledged Halberg as the mentor for his surprise gold in the 800m, occurring just an hour apart from Halberg's own victory in Rome.
"I've always appreciated how Murray nurtured me along, and gave me encouragement. Before Rome I looked up to Murray, and his counsel, support and encouragement really meant a great deal.
"Of course we had a lot of fun together since, especially through 1961... Barry Magee was the top 10,000m runner in the world that year, I was top in 800 and Murray ripped off a couple of [world] records in two and three miles."
Snell paid tribute to the way in which Walker carried on "the tradition" of New Zealand middle-distance running, describing his breakthrough in becoming the first man to break 3:50 for the mile as "a huge historical moment".
"John's mana around the world is huge," added Snell. "He's probably considered better known in some circles than I am because of the prolific amount of running he did - 100 sub-4min miles (135 all told), it was an awesome career. New Zealand should feel privileged to have had someone of his stature carrying on the tradition of Jack Lovelock, Murray and myself."
Walker and Snell, who is now based in the US, also share a link through the Parkinson's disease Walker has contracted and which Snell's late brother, Jack, also suffered from.
"I feel sorry for John having to go through this, but he has a good attitude about it," said Snell. "He'll get through it, but nights like tonight are kinda tough when his medication starts wearing off. I have some sort of feel for what he's going through."
But Walker said he's equally as proud about any inspiration he's able to give to someone battling Parkinson's as he was for young athletes when he was running in his prime.
"I try to pass on my knowledge as far as Parkinson's is concerned," says Walker. "Everyone who contracts the disease goes into hibernation. I was speaking to a gentleman last night and he's been the head of a big company and he just can't cope. The thing is when you go to a doctor they don't know any more than we do. As patients we experiment more than they do."
Walker described last night as "very special" for athletics, though Snell wasn't quite so complimentary of Athletics NZ which he felt had failed to push their knighthood cause with the gusto of other sporting organisations.
"Athletics does have three knights, but it's probably nothing to do with Athletics New Zealand," he said.
Among the select crowd at the Civic last night was a table dedicated to "friends of the knights" featuring people who had played key roles in the careers of the trio of honour.
Among the crowd were other Olympians including Les Mills, Peter Miskimmin, Mike Stanley, Alison Roe, Barry Maister, Hamish Carter and Barbara Kendall, the latter three all gold medallists themselves.
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