Last Walk with Stephen

Today was the last time I would train with Stephen. He moves back to Dunedin tomorrow.

Last night we arranged to met up at Stephens house and do a 14km walk together. Peter joined us and it was like the old crew back together again. We just ambled along and chatted the whole way, none of us in any hurry to finish.

I owe a lot to Stephen. He moved up from Dunedin about 4 years ago and made his way out to one of our Richmond walks. We had all heard about a new walker and were keen to see what he was like. None of us expected him to be as fast as he was or as good. He soon became the focus of our racewalking in Nelson and it didnt take long before a race walk team was formed and we all started training for Edkin relay in Wellington and Harry Kerr 50,000m in Auckland.

Here we are for Harry Kerr - We even had track suits made - Team Tasman!!

 Stephen, Yvonne, Nyle, Sharon & Pete

But he took me under his wing and turned me from a recreational walker into a racewalker. With me picking up his militant style. As I became faster I became more competitive and started searching out events to travel to. This took me to Australia for the Oceania Masters in Townsville and then the following year to Sydney for the World Masters Games. For these events I asked him to be my coach which he took just as much delight in as I did. He was a hard task master and he certainly pushed me hard but it all paid off. Each competition I would make gains and better myself.

We all have some amazing memories for the last 4 years - training at night on the grass track with me wearing the only headlight, training in the pouring rain especially when it was me that was training he just came along for the fun, the road trips to our events - driving down to Mosgiel and back poor pete will never be the same again!, the drive back from Tauranga to Auckland where I was the driver and Stephen and Pete sat in the back and did wine trails the whole way back, the Auckland trial when we were late to the race as we got lost.

It wont be the same around here for some time...Stephen will leave a huge hole in racewalking for Nelson.

The last time Stephen and I went away to compete - chch 1 hour walk

So here is our data for the walk today - 1:33:09

14km out and back - Atawhai