Page 18 - Aug_2014

YOU GO, MO'NE!
out & about
By John Morton

Not long ago, the sports world was giddy about a
male chauvinistic than Fort Benning. This was before a boot length.
13-year-old little league phenomenon from South Phil- women served in the military other than as nurses or I remember the media flap back in 1967 when Kath-
adelphia, who struck out eight and walked none en secretaries. Fort Benning was also home to the Ad- rine Switzer subtly concealed her gender when enter-
route to a two-hit shutout victory at the Little League vanced Marksmanship Training Center, a small fa- ing the Boston Marathon, which at the time was open
World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The big deal that cility that developed the best sport marksmen on the only to men. Then, in 1972, Frank Shorter won the

landed the young player on the cover of Sports Illus- planet. Olympic, World and Pan Am Champions like Munich Olympic marathon and launched a national
trated is that Mo’ne Davis is a 5’4”, 111-pound girl.
Gary Anderson, Lones Wigger and Lanny Bassham running craze in America. Overnight community road
And baseball isn’t even her best sport! She dreams of honed their skills on the ranges at Ft. Benning.
races, 10Ks, half marathons and marathons were host-
playing college basketball.
In addition, one woman, Margaret Murdock, was ing thousands of runners, and for the first time, many
Sports commentators across the country were dis- assigned to the AMTC. Captain Murdock, an offi- of them were women. I remember chuckling to myself
secting Mo’ne’s 70-mile-per-hour fast ball and raving cer in the Army Reserve, trained with and competed when my running buddies commiserated about “al-

about the perfect mechanics of her curve.
against the best men in the world. At the ’76 Montreal most being passed by a GIRL.” Better get used to it,
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s pretty terrific that Summer Games, she made Olympic history by tying guys, I thought.
Mo’ne can not only play ball with the boys, but that Capt. Lanny Bassham with the top score in the three In the 1980s, I achieved a life-long dream by quali-
she can excel, and get national recognition while do- position, small bore event.
fying for, and then participating in the Boston Mara-
ing so. But another part of me wonders, what’s the big In February of ‘76, I was a member of the U.S. biath- thon several times. At first, I was able to run with some
deal? Many have recognized the potential for girls and lon team to the Innsbruck Winter Olympics. It was a of the leading women, although I was laboring while

women to excel in sports, if only given the chance.
disappointing Games for me having been knocked out they seemed to be floating effortlessly, scarcely touch-
My first indication may have been on the top of the of the 20K individual event by a stomach flu and skiing ing the pavement. I still think Joan Benoit’s Olympic
Middlebury College ski jump in early 1965. As several a mediocre leg in the biathlon relay. Our team leader marathon victory in 1984 is one of the most inspiring
of us, all ski team hopefuls, tried to work up our cour- that year was a Finnish immigrant who arranged a athletic performances of all time, but in one sense, I
age, the coach’s spunky 11-year-old daughter, Patty “fun little relay” with the Finnish Olympians the day was not surprised. For decades, I have seen what girls
Sheehan, dropped her little Alpine skis on the snow before the Closing Ceremony. With nothing riding on and women can accomplish in sports when given the

and asked, “You guys gonn’a stan’ up here freez’n all the outcome but bragging rights and a bit of national chance.
day, or are ya gonn’a jump?” Then she rocketed down pride, I was shocked to discover that I’d be anchoring You go, Mo’ne!
the in-run and launched into the air.
the U.S. relay and skiing against Helena Takalo, the
I was not surprised, years later when Patty gained 28-year-old Finnish housewife, who in the previous
national recognition as one of the top golfers on the 16 days had medaled in all three of her events (one
John Morton is a former Olympic
LPGA Tour.
gold and two silvers). It was a stride-for-stride battle biathlete and Nordic ski coach. He lives in
In the summer of 1968, soon after I went on ac- for 5Ks, probably the hardest I’d skied all winter. As Thetford Center where he designs Nordic
tive duty in the army, I was assigned to Fort Benning, we sprinted for the line, I asked if she wanted to tie, ski trails. You can reach him through his
Georgia, the home of the infantry. At the height of the “for the sake of international friendship,” and got a
Vietnam War, there was no place in America more
scowl in response. It nearly killed me, but I beat her by
website, mortontrails.com.

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