Memoir Monday #38 Lost touch but not forgotten

The guy on the rights name is John. A very young me is on the left, my dad would have taken the photo. We would have been warming up, jogging around the Waverley football club oval before a local fun run. The event was probably organized by the Waverley athletics club. Back in the day there were lots of paid fun runs all over the place raising money for charities and local sporting groups. Well before parkrun ever existed.

John used to live across the road from us, and was one of the very few runners I knew. He was very encouraging of me and my running. We would share the driving to events all over town. He was so jealous of my times. In those days I was pretty fast with half the training he was doing! Oh to be young, strong and recover fast.

He used to have a side hustle to his full time job. Cooking and catering for big barbeques on the weekend. So I work for him and his wife as well. Helping set up, cook, serve and clean up.

The work meant I could afford to travel and run in the Honolulu marathon with him. I finished 5th in the under 21 age group when I was 18 years old.

Unfortunately we lost contact when we moved up to Queensland and he moved out of the old street as well. May be one day we will bump into each other again at an event but we both might be just walking.

Memoir Monday #38 (11/25-12/1) - Who is someone you’ve lost touch with but think about often, and what impact did they have on your life?