A look at an Irish track star (with roots in the US) .. who came into the news for a different reason in the past few years, after the jump …..
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The recent death of Sir Roger Bannister— the first athlete to run a mile in under four minutes — reminded me of two things: first, how far track & field’s star has fallen. I used to know who held world records in certain events and the Penn Relays (in Philadelphia) and the Wanamaker Millrose Games (in NYC) were big. Tellingly: the Millrose Games used to be held in Madison Square Garden … now, they are held at the Ft. Washington Armory in Manhattan: sign-of-the-times.
The other: was to recall someone else who was “the first” to hold a record in the mile, who seemed equally at home in the US as well as his native land (but had dropped from the radar screen here in the US). Well, it seems he went on to a political career … and was a noted voice three years ago in a historic moment. Although St. Patrick’s Day was this past weekend ... this is a belated Irish story.
Eamonn Coghlan was known as the Chairman of the Boards for his success in running indoor track in the second half of his career — but he had plenty of success outdoors, too.
Born in 1952 in a Dublin suburb, his early success led to his being recruited by ‘Jumbo’ Elliot, the head coach of the Villanova University track team in suburban Philadelphia. The culture shock (and academic difficulties) led him to want to quit … and he did. But persuasion by his family (and his future wife Yvonne) led him to return .. and his coach (who normally rejected those who quit on him) welcomed him back. It paid off: he won four NCAA titles (in the mile and 1500 meters) and graduated. And this was his first try at indoor track (with its springy surface) which he knew would be important later on.
1976 BS degree in MarketingHe competed in three Olympic Games for Ireland (‘76, ‘80 and ‘84) yet all three times finished out of the medals in the 1500 meters — often, he felt, due to tactical errors (over-training, setting too fast an early pace, etc.). But he did achieve a first for his nation in 1983: when at age 30, he won the gold medal in the World Championship 5000 meter race in Helsinki, Finland. For this and other reasons to follow, in 2008 he was inducted into Athletics Ireland’s Hall of Fame.
Wins in 13:28.53 (3.1 miles)For several years in the 80’s, he lived in Rye, New York (NYC suburb) and found his greatest success on the indoor track circuit, breaking the indoor mile world record on three occasions. And the (aforementioned) Wanamaker Millrose mile race he won a record seven times — and when that record was broken twenty years later by Bernard Lagat… Coghlan was there to act both as starter for the race and present Lagat with a trophy.
As he approached age forty (with said age division called the masters division) he set upon one final goal: to be the first to run a sub-4 minute mile after the age of forty. (I recall the late Charles Kuralt of CBS Sunday Morning following his quest).
Several runners had done so at age thirty-nine (including two famed New Zealanders: Rod Dixon and the 1976 Olympic 1500 meter champ, John Walker).
All had failed after age forty.
So too did Eamonn Coghlan at age forty: developing pains in his left leg, and sought help from a deep-tissue massage therapist in Gainesville, Florida where he trained (with treatments often resulting in pain) .
In the run-up to HarvardAfterwards, he felt ready to try again after turning age forty-one. And he had in mind a specific track (having a fast-banked curving track) and the sponsors arranged for a special race to be held in the middle of a state high school meet. There would also be the use of “rabbits” — runners setting a fast pace in order to help him achieve his goal (as Roger Bannister had done, as do the Tour de France competitors). And so in February, 1994 at Harvard University’s indoor track: he ran the race in 3:58:15 … to the delight of the 3,000 fans. With that, he retired — like Roger Bannister, the first-in-anything can never be broken.
Since then, he has worked at several posts: North American director of fundraising for a children’s medical center in Dublin, a panelist on RTÉ News (Ireland’s version of the BBC), a motivational speaker on the sports lecture circuit and currently a senior advisor to a consulting firm. In 2008 he released this autobiography— whose title ain’t boasting if he achieved it.
In 2011, he received a surprise phone call from the Taoiseach — Ireland’s prime minister — asking if he would accept a nomination to the Senate of Ireland’s parliament ... and he was given only ninety minutes to decide …. which he did not need. (Like the UK’s House of Lords, it is by appointment only, and having very limited advisory powers). He gave up his seat in 2014 order to run in a special election for the lower house of Parliament, which was unsuccessful.
He and his wife have four children, who exemplify the Ireland — US experience he had (and he credits the American “Can Do” attitude as helping him succeed). One son is on Ireland’s national track team and his daughter is a banker in Dublin. Another son is a golf pro in Houston, Texas and his other son Michael is an actor in Hollywood. Bringing us to yet another chapter in Eamonn Coghlan’s life, which he revealed in the run-up to the landmark 2015 same-sex marriage referendum.
Speaking to a public meeting that his political party while a Senator (Fine Gael) held on the subject of LGBT rights, he said the following:
“When I discovered my son Michael was gay I was devastated. I cried for weeks. The hopes and dreams I had for my son were shattered. I felt guilty, almost as if I was to blame for him being gay.
I tried to cover up my disappointment. While I hugged him, told him I loved him, I had to come to terms that, it was not about me but, about him and his life ahead. The big breakthrough for me was when some of Michael’s gay friends joined us on a family holiday in Spain. I got to know them and see how happy he was with his mates.
Michael is a grown man now but he suffered awful bullying in school. At the time we didn’t know why this was happening but after he came out it became apparent that it was because he was gay. He had also suffered from terrible stomach problems as a teen which we could never get diagnosed. It transcribed that this was all anxiety related because of the struggle he had with knowing he was gay and the bullying he was being subjected to.
It is clear to me as a parent of a gay child that the marriage equality referendum is about voting for real people and their lives. It is not about politics or about voting for a particular party. It is about equality, removing rejection, removing exclusion, removing the guilt, shame and fear that gay people experience. We have to think of the person, their dignity, their validation, their human freedom to love and to live life to the full.”
And then the money quote:
“I was lucky enough to marry the woman of my dreams. Who are we as a nation to deny our sons and daughters the basic right of marrying the person they love?”
The rest is history, as the referendum passed with a super-majority. But the story of a talented long-distance runner who will turn age 65 this coming November …... may not yet be quite ready for the history books, just yet.
Eamonn Coghlan & son MichaelLet’s close with a traditional song … sung by the Irish indie singer Lisa Hannigan, backed-up by The Chieftains … who I believe it would take less time compiling a list of artists they have not recorded with, than those who they have.
x xYouTube VideoNow, on to Top Comments:
Nothing from the field this evening :
From Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the diary by Leslie Salzillo about the embarrassing grilling that Ben Carson received from Sen. Elizabeth Warren — Delib reminds us of one of Dr. Carson’s more infamous statements.
And in the diary by Murfster35 about the upcoming 60 Minutes interview with Stephanie Clifford — JunkYardDogg reminds us of the business publication story that had all of our heads shaking just months ago.
And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
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