Page 24 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 65

24 April 2018 Issue #65 www.sportsenergynews.com

Wendell Lafave Completes Sixth World Major Marathon

By Jim Riddell has just been awarded the prestigious
Abbott World Marathon Majors medal
illiamstown’s Wendell Lafave, for running in, and finishing, all six of
Wwho just last year completed the world’s major marathons. There have
his 150th marathon to coincide with only been approximately 3800 runners
Canada’s 150th anniversary, has now in history who have completed the New
achieved another milestone. Wendell York, Chicago, Boston, London, Berlin,

Harv’s Diner SPORTS

THE BREAKFAST PLACE WORD

brings you SEARCH

2018 Winter Olympics

B L W Q G N I D R A O B W O N S P X S
O L Y M P I C S N I A T N U O M L N M
Y R O T S I H C O U N T R Y J S O E D

S S R V H K C B G N I T A K S I D E G Photo Submitted
D S R P E G E I I K O R E A T A T N U and Tokyo marathons. announcements, and countless runners
R O E W E C I L D A Z R E A L A A G R down and in need of help. Two people
Wendell, a retired school teacher first
O R P O T R N E E R T O N S I H A Q Q began running in 1977 as a means of died that day. In April of 2015 I managed
C C R R O E U A L T O H F L C M T Y B getting back into shape after breaking to stumble onto a Boston Marathon
E F E L R A N G M S O N L G E U H W E an ankle. Since that time he has had qualifying time without actually focusing
numerous accomplishments; completing on it. Gaining this acceptance would
R L S D C T P I I R B N N O W S L M Y propel me to the Abbott Majors goal of
marathons in each Canadian province
C P E G H C N Q P F O O S E N N E O J and every state in the USA. He has been being a six star finisher. Berlin had yet to
U D N W R L U G E L E F B L M O T T U a five-time runner of the year, a Cornwall be run and Tokyo had now been added to
R E T L E V A R T Y A Y R G E W E P D Lions Club athlete of the year, and has the original five marathons. In September
been inducted into the Glengarry Sports of 2015 I ran Berlin, the second largest
L E A F L F K S P O R T S E N D S F G marathon in the world. It was very
Hall of Fame.
I P T N A Y E K C O H E C I P I C M E well organized and running through the
Wendell describes his path to the Brandenburg Gate at the finish line was a
N S I H Y V S H O R T T R A C K I C S
Abbott medal – “Life is a journey, and memorable experience.”
G G V K G N I P M U J I K S S B I K V
of course we never really know the road
X R E T N I W T N E M E V O M N L O S ahead, and it has a funny way of evolving The sixth and final step to the coveted
T Y S N U Q E L Y T S E E R F C X F L over time. The road to Abbott’s medal Abbotts medal would not be an easy
began in April 2006 when Sheila and I one for Wendell. He was battling a
ALPINE SNOW PERFORMANCE were going to London to visit friends and fairly severe cold during the two weeks
JUDGES CROSS TRAVEL decided to tie in the marathon. We were leading up to Tokyo, and also had trained
SKATING MOVEMENT GAME new to marathoning so this was the big inconsistently due to a prolonged foot
ATHLETES SNOWBOARDING time for us. The course has one of the best injury. The Tokyo course is unique in the
fact that there are nine checkpoints and
KOREA CURLING PYEONGCHANG finish lines in marathoning ending right in if runners do not arrive at each one by a
SKELETONSLED NATIONS WINTER front of Buckingham Palace, with Queen specified time they are removed from the
BIATHLON SPEED HISTORY Victoria’s statue in the forefront. Then in course. This was a concern for Wendell
November of the same year, Shelia got
LUGE DETAIL RECORDS into the lottery oriented New York City as he had not been able to train as much
SKIING NORDIC WORLD marathon and had what was probably our as he would have liked due to the injury.
BOBSLEIGH SPORTS ICE best marathoning experience as the buzz “My concern was timing; I worked out
MEDALS FIGURE and the excitement demonstrated by the several scenarios so that I could get
SKIJUMPING OLYMPIC REPRESENTATIVES spectators of the different boroughs was through the checkpoints successfully. As
COUNTRY TORCHRELAY ICEHOCKEY overwhelming. Shelia had her name on it turned out, I was about an hour slower
MOUNTAINS FREESTYLE SHORTTRACK her shirt and people were calling out to her than normal in a time of 5:22:55 and
all along the course. I was the forgotten almost on one foot……, but I finished.”
Harv’s Diner person. Then in October of 2007 we Wendell has a saying “I like to set a goal
found ourselves at the Chicago marathon
THE BREAKFAST PLACE with fellow lady Raisin River Ramblers. and then run it down”. Wendell Lafave
has set and then run down numerous
It was the year of the meltdown. The
goals in his illustrious running career. As
girls were diverted off the course at the
“ Where Winning Teams Start Their Day” for what is next, it looks like we will have
eighteen mile mark while I had made the to wait awhile. Wendell says “Now I’m
619 Pitt Street, Cornwall cut and was allowed to finish. It was an home and this journey is over. Sheila and
613-938-8250 experience not to be forgotten as there I await the next adventure, but first … the
were helicopters in the sky, fire trucks by
grandchildren.
the road, hydrants open, police making