By GLYNIS HART
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CLAREMONT — Local athlete and retired computer programmer Ron Whittemore returned from the National Senior Games, held this year in Albuquerque, with a sixth place ribbon in the long jump (against a field of 22) and a third place bronze medal in the triple jump.
“I am very proud of the third place medal,” said Whittemore. At 81, Whittemore practices jumping every day the weather will allow. He started his track career as a distance runner, including the Boston Marathon of 1962. “It was my long-distance running that got my legs in shape for jumping.”
In addition to the marathons, he sustained a mile-a-day running streak for over seven years. That meant running in all weathers, including a numbing -40°F in North Conway and 105°F in Tucson. He kept his streak up until he had the first of four heart attacks (the attacks were spaced about five years apart).
“I took up the long jump at 65 and the triple jump at 70,” he said. “I get my share of injuries, but the last few years I’ve been pretty good.
“This was a bad year for me; there was snow on the track until the middle of April. Then we had so much rain, and my wife was in the hospital, so I spent a lot of time at the hospital.”
Nevertheless, Whittemore is a regular at the National Senior Games. The organization, National Senior Games Association, began as the Senior Olympics but changed its name to appease the International Olympics Committee, dropping the “Olympics” from its title. It holds competitions every two years, and this year was a record-breaker in terms of attendance, with over 15,000 athletes. A nonprofit, it sponsors a 20-sport, biennial competition for men and women 50 and over. The NSG is the largest multi-sport event in the world for seniors.
NSGA member organizations hold annual games with qualifying competitions on the off year. “You have to be in the top three in your state to go to the national event,” said Whittemore.
Six years ago, the jumper set a record that still stands. “Lillian, my first wife, saw me do the best jump of my life in Cleveland,” he remembered. “That was 25 feet, 10 inches. I was fourth overall in the Senior Olympics — nobody has beat it, so I’m still number 4!”
Whittemore prefers the triple jump because he’s been lucky at it, but mostly practices the long jump. He has a system, which is to start running at 89 feet, and “if I hit my mark at 32, I’ll make it. Speed is the most important to me, because the faster you’re going the farther you can jump.”
He demonstrated a triple jump: first, the run up, then the planting of the launching foot, then a jump and push off from the same foot. “If you can get a good leg swing going you’ll get it,” he said. “Keep your head up. I try to keep my hands in front of me and my legs in front of me. If you land and tip back so your backside touches the sand, they’ll count it from there.”
“I never had a coach,” said Whittemore. “I do better when my wife’s with me.”
Although he’s had four heart attacks, they came in five-year intervals and a fifth one has yet to occur even though it’s been longer than five years. He’s looking forward to the next Senior Games, to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“That’ll be good,” he said. “I’ll probably be able to drive down there and have a vacation at the same time.”
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