For the next couple of weeks millions of people here in Canada and throughout the world will sit on the edge of their easy chairs and tune in the action of the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia. Every one of us will certainly be cheering for our favourite team and saluting the colors of our nation, but we must always appreciate the magnificent efforts and hopefully good sportsmanship of all of those superb athletes.
Many will say that too much professionalism and politics have now entered into the long-standing Olympic arena, but we must hope that the keen spirit of fair and clean competition will somehow always reign supreme and with pride for each and every nation. A long-time friend sent me this amazing story, and may we ever dare to hope that all sports, at no matter what level or personal skill set could still be played and enjoyed as fun , while always giving the best effort? At the end, no matter what the final outcome might be, is it not so very important to proudly share those great efforts and successes with everyone else involved??
The legend of Cliff Young
It was in 1983 that a quiet 61 year old Australian sheep farmer would win a 544 mile endurance race because he ran throughout the night while the younger ‘professional’ athletes slept. Every year this 543.7 mile (875 kilometres) endurance race from Sydney to Melbourne is hosted in the Australian heat, and is considered as one of the world’s most gruelling ultra-marathons. The race takes five days to compete and is normally only attempted by world-class athletes, who train vigorously for the event, and are typically less than 30 years of age and backed by such corporate giants such as Nike.
It was in 1963 that a man named Cliff Young showed up at the start of the race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots, and to everyone’s total shock they realized that he wasn’t a spectator when he picked up his race number and joined the other competitors. The press and other athletes became curious and questioned Cliff, informing him that he was crazy and that there was no way he would win this rugged race. ‘Yes I can,’ he quietly claimed. “You see, I grew up on a farm where we couldn’t afford horses or tractors, and the whole time that I was growing up, whenever storms rolled in, I’d have to go out and round up all the sheep. We had 2000 sheep on 2000 acres, and sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days and it took a long time, but I’d always catch them, and that is why I believe that I can win this race.”
When the race finally started, the pros quickly left Cliff behind, and the crowds and television audience were entertained because Cliff didn’t even run properly, appearing to shuffle, and many even feared for the farmer’s safety. This amazing story would quickly turn into a classic ‘Tortoise and the Hare’ adventure. All of the professional athletes knew quite well that it took five days to finish this gruelling race, and in order to compete one had to run about 18 hours a day and sleep the remaining six hours. The thing is, Cliff Young didn’t know that, and when the morning of the second day came, everyone was in for yet another surprise. Not only was Cliff still in the race, but to their disbelief, he claimed that he would run straight through to the finish without sleeping.
Cliff kept right on running, and each night he came a little closer to the leading pack. By the final night, he had surpassed all of those young world class athletes, he was the first competitor to cross the finish line, and he had set a new course record. When Cliff Young was awarded the winning prize of $10,000.00, he said that he didn’t know that there was a prize, and insisted that he did not enter for the money. He ended up giving all of his winnings to several other runners, a kindly act that would forever endear him to all of his home land of Australia.
After that first great victory the inspiration of this totally unselfish man continued the following year as Cliff Young entered the same race, and despite having a displaced hip would finish in 7th place. He came to prominence again in 1997 when at 76 years of age he attempted to raise money for homeless children by running around Australia’s border. He would complete 6,250 kilometres of the 16,000 kilometre run but had to pull out because his only crew member had become ill. Clifford Young passed away in 2003 at the age of 81 years. Today, the infamous ‘Young Shuffle’ has been adopted by ultra-marathon runners because it is considered more energy efficient, while others have also adjusted their sleep habits to run night and day. Cliff Young in his unassuming but determined matter showed so many that sheer grit and spirit can be an inspiration to all athletes and everyone else, young and old, who are given the opportunity to pursue their goals and dreams. Please keep the atmosphere hot by not forgetting your Valentine on February 14th, and have a great week, all of you.
- Hammertime