i2P – Running across the Andes

"You toughen up. You have no choice."

Kevin Vallely sees the world in ways most of us only dream of.  One of the world’s leading explorers, he set a speed record skiing to the south pole in 2009,  trekked across the sea of Siberia in 2010, and completed the grueling Fiji Eco Challenge in 2002. I could continue listing his accomplishments for several pages, but will point instead to his next expedition, the i2P Andes Run from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, set for February 2012.  The G4S Q+A that follows reveals a man with a sharp mind and a tough pair of feet.

RIP Oh Great Lifter

In high school, I never missed a cover of Sports Illustrated, including this one.

Great athletes performing at their peak have always captured my attention – especially when they involve feats of physical strength. I marveled watching Vasily Alexeev at the 1976 Olympic Games here in Montreal, and still marvel when I look at those images today.

Alexeev died earlier this week from heart problems at the age of 69.  His death has inspired me to post a vignette I produced for CBC TV in 2006. It was part of series I created called “30 years later”, featuring current-day recollections of the same great moments from those Games. In this short, you’ll hear the legendary Brian Williams’ voice from the original broadcast, blended with recollections from long-time commentator Aldo Roy. The late and great Don Wittman does the narration for this vignette.  The video quality here isn’t perfect, but you get the idea!

The dogged Ironman

Patrick O'Neill battles to an impressive finish

We’re all getting older -but no less interesting, I discovered at my Loyola High School 30th reunion celebration recently. The boys from the class of ’81 are finding various ways to battle, or slow down time. Some of them are using sport and/or adventure racing. In an upcoming post, I’ll tell you about Kevin Vallely; but today I’m publishing a guest post from one classmate who was too busy training to make it to the reunion.

Patrick O’Neill, who was featured in an earlier post, recently completed another ironman triathlon in Florida. Here are his thoughts.

Catching a dream

More than just a baseball

The sight of a baseball fan nearly falling out of the stands trying to catch a ball at the All-Star Game’s homerun derby got a lot of attention on television this week. The visual is irresistible, but the problem is that guy is too old. The dream of catching a ball at a game is really the stuff of kids.

When I was kid, my mitt was good at catching balls, but never did it snag a dream. That’s why I marvel at the story of 12-year-old Mark Morrison who recently traveled from Toronto to a Chicago Cubs game. The score sheet doesn’t mention him, but his star was shining that afternoon.

Running into the clouds

Melodie Sullivan, in the orange, fights her way to the top of Mt. Washington

There’s hill training, there’s suffering, there’s near-death experiences, and then there’s the Mount Washington Road Race. The latter is a thing onto itself. Just ask Montreal marathoner Melodie Sullivan.

“Never once did I want to give up, so I had to find ways to deal with the pain. “

Rob Callard is beating cancer, and one of his docs says it’s because of cycling. Read on about one of Montreal’s best-known restaurateurs and his nascent journey on a two-wheeler.

“In the two years that we ran, our feet became great instructors”

 

Dawn Ruddick is trailed by the children of Oshikuku, Namibia.

GUEST POST

At its best, running is a transformative experience. Read on about how a Canadian teacher made a special connection with children in Namibia, using her feet instead of her words.

 

Failing to succeed

What steers you in sport? Success or passion?

GUEST POST

Jeff Hastings is a former US National ski jumping champion whom I met covering the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. He’s worked color for NBC and ABC at the last 7 Olympic Games, and has a lot to say about drawing the line between success and failure in sport – especially as we embark on another season of winter sport. In this piece that originally appeared in the Valley News in Lebanon, N.H., he calls on  Good4sports readers to weigh in with their views.

Suarez reveals colors again

Suarez takes a bite out of Bakkal

He’s the talk of the football (soccer) world …again!

How would you discipline Luis Suarez for biting an opponent, and would you accept to play on the same field as him?

Cassie Campbell Pascall becomes a mother!

Congratulations to Cassie Campbell Pascall, who gave birth to Brooke Violet Pascall on Wednesday, Nov. 17 — her first child. Cassie is a groundbreaker. A former national hockey team captain and two-time gold medallist, she is now one of the top hockey analysts and reporters in Canada.

To mark the day, I’m posting an item we produced together last year near Terrace, B.C. for Kraft Hockeyville. It’s a profile of the Kitselas First Nations people.

A kick out of life

It’s never too late to get a thrill from watching spectacular kicks, which is why I’m finally posting a video report I completed in August at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. It features the World Taekwondo Federation’s demonstration team, and their spectacular kick-ass show. Elsewhere on this blog, I’ve provided snippets I shot with my CoolPix camera from the broadcast position. This is the feature report that went to air, shot and edited by Cordell Wolking.

 

Heroes in Space

Robert Thirsk with fellow Canadian astronaut Julie Payette

What could Jean Béliveau and Bobby Orr possibly have to do with Canada’s work in space? Read about the lasting impressions our sports heroes can make, and leave a comment.

Looking back to Fishin’ in Terrace, B.C.

Just finishing the edit on the Kraft Hockeyville-The Game (from Dundas, Ont.) program that will air on CBC-TV across Canada, Saturday Oct. 2, at 9:30 pm.

This is the fifth year the one-hour  program has aired, and I’m feeling nostalgic for small-town Canada.

“Intense workouts…the fountain of youth”

Lenny Lighter, in black, pedals against the clock.

An unexpected mix.

The man running Montreal’s landmark steak house also happens to be a competitive cyclist. Read on to find out more about what drives Lenny Lighter and post a comment.

Faster than the eye can see

Breaking boards and twisting flips in the name of self-defense! Read-on about the most exciting show at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Belgium inspiration

Lola Mansour trains with her coach Eiji Kikuchi

Lola Mansour is just 16, but the Belgium athlete showed the poise and confidence of someone much older when she won gold at the Youth Olmypic Games in Singapore.

One-thousand push ups a day

Gold-medal winner Katelyn Boyssou

I thought I knew some really tough people, and then I met the second judo gold medal winner from the USA at the Youth Olympic Games.

From Being bullied to winning Gold

Max Schneider training in Singapore.

Max Schneider’s judo journey takes him to the gold medal podium in Singapore. It all began 12 years ago when he was bullied in the school yard.

Judoka makes Papa proud

Kadijah Maxwell trains for Youth Olympic Games

Just what your parents introduce you to at a young age can have a lasting impact. Read more about a judoka from Barbados making her father proud, as she gets set to compete at the Youth Olmypic Games in Singapore.

Winners never quit. Quitters never win.

Don't mess with high-kickin' Melanie!

16-year-old Melanie Phan, of Vancouver, was another of the bronze medal winners in taekwondo at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. When I met her before the competition, she talked about what motivates her.