“Age is but a number” – 80-year-old BVI belonger and resident participated in 2010 Athens Classic Marathon
Rotary Club of Tortola - Thursday, November 25th, 2010 at 11:34 AM
Rotarian Dr. Robin Tattersall proved the old saying “age is but a number” to be true. Hearing about the Athens Classic Marathon which was held in Greece on October 31 2010, Rotarian Robin thought “what if I could?” Although he hadn’t walked for more than three miles at any one time over the past 30 years, he got very excited so the next day he walked 6 miles on the West End road at quite a fast pace.
Feeling rather proud of himself he was determined to walk each day until he could have walked 26 miles and, he was confident enough to enter the Race.
Rotarian Robin trained very hard, pushing himself to the maximum, even with an ankle injury, he continued his training having done two 20 mile walks a few weeks before the Race. He therefore was rather apprehensive as to how he would be able to manage the 26.2 miles as the experts are always talking about ‘hitting the wall’ at about 20 miles.
This year the Race was to celebrate the 2,500th anniversary of the famous Battle of Marathon, where in 490 BC the Athenians, although outnumbered by 15 to 1, defeated the mighty Persian army.
Nevertheless, Rotarian Robin made the Finish at the old stadium, used for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and built in white marble as a replica of the ancient stadium in Olympia. What a great feeling that must have been, and to think that Rotarian Robin completed his first Marathon at the age of 80 in such a setting was quite magnificent.
“I felt so fresh at the end, that I passed several others during that final stretch in the stadium, and after I had finished I even thought that maybe I could walk all the way back to the Marathon!!” said Rotarian Robin.
While in Greece, Rotarian Robin thought it would be a great idea to have his friends and Rotarians back in the BVI sponsor his Race, proceeds of which would go to the BVI Cancer Society. Rotarian Robin was successful in raising $8,000.00 which will go do the Cancer Society. He said that his only regret was that he should have started the fundraiser earlier.
Mind over matter, the lesson here is that no matter how big the challenge is, “your beliefs determine your actions and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe.”
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8 Comments
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you can do anything you put your mind to do. No matter how old your are.
Congrulation Doc. Just keep on do what you do so well. a smile on others face.
This story actually brought a smile to my face. Congratulations on such a wonderful accomplishment
Good going Doc, knowing you this is not a surprise at all. Well done. You did a magnificent job.
Awesome Doc! 80 and $8,000 of charitable good work! UR a role model.
Age is a number – i’m sticking with 39 no matter what my doc says.
Congrats on a very fine acheivement.
Is doc a BVI passport holder? That would create a new national record.
I don’t agree with you there Doc. Age is more than just a number. Age is greater likelihood of medical complications …….. (wait a minute, you are the Dr., not me).
Oh Noel why so negative. People like you spend your days living in misery and that’s the sure fire way to get medical complications as you so put it.
Inspirational! It was nice to read about a remarkable personal acheivement such as this. It is a wise lesson to us all not to sit back and allow ourselves to be defeated by anything.
Wow I was moved. I am half his age and I think I too old to try new things. The story is inspirational, whoever wrote it did a good job in making me believe that perhaps I can do things I never thought I could do. Tomorrow morning I am getting up at 5.00am and will start walking, if he can do it surely a 40 year old can roo. Thank you for sharing the story BVI News.
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