Vindication for Marathoners Everywhere!
In the latest 12/31 issue of People, a “box” on the MailBag page reads:
KUDOS FOR KATIE[headline]. Rory Gilfillan’s letter in the Dec. 10 Mailbag criticizing Katie Holmes’s 5.5 hour time in the New York City marathon provoked 77 readers to weigh in and defend Holmes’s effort. Most agreed with Rachel Fier of Southborough, Mass., who writes that “every single runner, celebrity or not, deserves credit for their accomplishment, regardless of their finish time. If Katie encouraged one person to get off their couch and start exercising, then the publicity was worth it.” Gail Arnoff of Shaker Heights, Ohio, says she “began running marathons at 57 to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and I’m proud that I can complete them, even if it does take me more than six hours. Every runner can make a difference by running for a cause.” Walk it off, Rory.
[...] PR-Inside.com Entertainment News wrote an interesting post today on Vindication for Marathoners Everywhere!Here’s a quick excerptKUDOS FOR KATIE[headline]. Rory Gilfillan’s letter in the Dec. 10 Mailbag criticizing Katie Holmes’s 5.5 hour time in the New York City… [...]
Katie Holmes » Vindication for Marathoners Everywhere!
December 24, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Who ever replies to these comments against Rory Gilfillan truly doesn’t have neither the passion or love that runners do who train and work towards what seems an impossible goal. Rory and I have been training for over a year together and you will never meet someone more passioinate or creditable than Rory who demonstrates qualities that if we’re lucky will pass on to future generations.
I have a little story to share with everyone about a great friend who didn’t give up on me.
Last January towards the end of the month I did a tear to the miniscus in my left knee making it impossible to walk normally and definately not run. I attempted a 5k race but was in so much pain that I just couldn’t push the pace and after the race had to duct tape my knee so I could walk up to the awards table. This may sound nuts but we truly love this sport not for winning but just to ensure we live life to the fullest and enjoy all aspects of it. During the 8 weeks off where I had practically decided to maybe hang up my shoes I got emails daily from a friend who wasn’t going to let me walk away, he kept me thinking towards the future and although I missed our 1/2 I would make that comback once again. Sometimes 2 or 3 times a day I would get these and although I didn’t do my greatest in Mississauga with only 9 weeks of training I ran picton and won my 2nd marathon because of the kindness showed. This person also drove back from Ottawa the day of my marathon just to see me at 36km running the race and although could only stay for a few minutes knew how much it meant.
This person is Rory Gilfillan!! A true sportsman and inspiration to our sport. I will admit that i was taken back from Ian’s comments since really not alot of people really understand what we have been through and how much we love what we do. Up until last year I worked 3 jobs 2 full time just to keep running and Rory is a full time teacher in Lakefield. We train before and after work and travel to race on weekends when we can or train together.
Not only does Rory teach but he coaches within his school, he does so at the local track clubs and universities the continuing mentoring he gives to kids both with the schools he coaches with and those around him, in short he’s an inspiration to our sport. Lets be honest though Katie Homes first marathon getting to start with the front rows and the amount of camera’s on her face just cause she ran a marathon. I think katie is a great person and I loved her movies and tv shows but why is it fair that someone like katie gets so much support cause she is famous rather than someone like my new friend I ran with who’s father had just passed away, he was from New York, he had over 200 supporters out there from his family and friends and he ran a 2:52 marathon. I ran over 20kms with him it was quite simply amazing and a much better story since my race was over before it started since I ran a marathon 3 weeks prior it was a chance for me to give something back to our great sport so I paced him, got him water/gatorade and talked him through tough parts. He was a HERO!! Rory and I qualified fairly and ran good times yet by the time the gun went off over 3 thousand runners were in front of us and alot of them runners who’s times were over 2 hours slower again something that made it impossible to race. Lance a 2:46 getting to start with the lead pack, Rory ran a 2:36 through that mess and I still don’t know how that was possible and I had a 2:31 qualifing time but not good enough to be infront of Lance’s or Katie whats wrong with this we work hard and bleed for our sport to be cheated.
I appologize if this is harsh but how is it fair what would lance say if I was the world record holder in the marathon and retired and wanted to bike the Tour Du France while he was still competiting and got to start ahead of him obviously im not going to compete with him but better viewing and more promotions.
Rory and I agree and applaud her efforts in finishing but so many others deserve the spot light, the women who have fought for so much to afford to make it there and the dedication it took to qualify as with the men but not even that some of the stories that just will never be heard that could seriously inspire so many more thousands.
This is a great sport and I feel lucky to be able to both compete in it and to live in such a great community with so many friends and those who enjoy running as much as I do regardless of times and placings I couldn’t imagine any other place to live we are all winners in the fact that we love what we do.
Please next time you reply to Rory statement really think to yourself why am I replying to either something I really no nothing about or if your a runner and your replying well ask yourself why do I run or who inspired you!! Was it an actor/actress or a friend or family member someone who was fighting cancer perhaps either way someone made a difference why don’t they get the same treatment.
Darl Sutherland
Darl Sutherland
January 10, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Darl, thanks for sharing the story about Rory. I am the author of the original posts, and I’ve left them up to continue the discussion. I hope you read Rory’s comments and my replies to them in my earlier posting–he earned my respect, and Rory conveyed his appreciation for my own comments.
Your very last paragraph brings up the point that I think Rory and I both learned through our communication–a brief letter or article can convey so little of who a person is, just as the media can convey so little of who a celebrity is. My original response was not to Rory–it was to the persona he conveyed in one letter. Rory acknowledges the same–that his initial letter to People magazine focused more on criticizing a person he doesn’t know and less on emphasizing the great deeds of others who deserve equal merit. The true Rory can’t be seen in his initial letter. The true Tara can’t be seen in my initial response to Rory. And neither of us have seen the true Katie Holmes–for good or for bad.
Perhaps this is all a lesson that we should try to assume people mean well. Perhaps I’ll respond with more kindness the next time I think I’m seeing cruelty. I think that’s the lesson. I think Rory could have made his point with kindness. I think I could have made my point with kindness. Perhaps if we all did that, there would be more stories in People magazine about people doing great things.
Though I have to say, as someone who has been fighting cancer for over a year now, I sure as hell don’t want a magazine that thinks that’s a great story to tell. Fighting to live is an instinct. It’s not even heroic. Pretty much everyone fights to live. Now, some people do some amazing things simultaneous to fighting cancer, and maybe those are stories worth telling. I’m not sure.
What I do know is that my encounter with Rory has reminded me that there aren’t many people in the world who are all bad or all good, and perhaps if we assume there’s more good, we’ll get it in return. I’m lucky that Rory responded to my initial posting with kindness and an open mind, or I might never have met the man behind the letter that really doesn’t reflect who he is. We should all be more kind to one another. I hope that’s the message of these posts.
wisetara
January 11, 2008 at 8:55 am
Hello
Wow you are someone whom I find inspiring even if you wouldn’t admit it!! So many things happen and I completely agree that we see so little of someone through a story. I hope I helped shed come light on who Rory truly is an inspiration as well.
I have gone through many battles but I have learned so much good from all of them and I hope this will help instill that sometimes its not always easy to find but there are lots of great people out there many of whom are much like yourself open minded and kind hearted.
4 Years ago I was attacked by a pitbull just weeks before my Olympic Trials shattering my achilles tendon but I was so intent on running them that I did a race the very next day actually 2 races back to back and yes I won both and thats where I met Rory he was one of the competitors haha. In the process I was unable to walk normally for over 4 years and even now have difficulty buuutttt I can run as wierd as that sounds. During that 4 years maybe 3 months of the year I could run the rest was spent in pools, wheel chairs and crutches intent on not giving up until the end of Oct 2005 where the papers read local runner a disappointment to community. I decided to hand up my shoes and did so until Jan of 2006 where some of the kids I coached dragged me out to coach and slowely got me running again. 4 months later I ran my first marathon since 2003 and won my first major marathon which was my dream come true. Winning the marathon wasn’t the greatest part though not even close it was seeing my friend who is visually impaired with 2kms to go while she was running the 1/2 marathon cheer me on as her husband running with her said I was leading and passing them.
So many great things happened because of that injury I became an Educational Assistant working with kids 14-20 with physical and developmental exceptionalities. My dream job in a nut shell working with kids that love living life everyday regardless of the outcome (my fuel). Shortly after working in a full time position again slipt on the ice and did that tear to my knee (the rest of that story you know). Towards summer during workouts I was pass out frequently or vomit not really knowing why or what to do. I found out that the house I was renting from was poisonous and nearly killed me losing a huge portion of lung capacity over that year and again returned to win my 2nd marathon this fall against tough odds running against a Kenyan who’s times are far superior to mine but anything can happen on any given day. Still now I don’t know how long I will be able to run and im seeing specialists for my lungs to try and regain what I lost but in the end I love this sport and those I meet because of it. Yourself is a great example of someone I just met who is interesting and inspirational.
I hope you don’t take this reply as my bragging rights cause I didn’t mean it that way but I hope you realize everyone has a unique and amazing story. My training partner and greatest friend Jutta works full time, has 4 kids and does 12 hr shifts but manages to run marathons and always treats every individual as a HERO in this sport cause everyone is in there own way. If I could chose to be more like someone it would be her.
You never know we may become email friends but either way this was a great conversation. darl_sutherland@hotmail.com
Darl Sutherland
January 11, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I think I should add that I had a friend who just pushed and pushed me to run with him all the time. Never telling me why but that he loved life over the 4 years of high school we ran daily even when he moved to Scotland, he called to check in even when he had retired from running. One day I got a call and he then told me that throughout childhood he too had cancer and that he had never told anyone else. He was my best friend and my biggest inspiration in the world (my brother basically) shortly after he passed away but I never forgot what he did for me I laced up my shoes and won the Ontario Cross Country Championships 3 weeks later with a foot that had to be taped up so tight that I couldn’t feel the tendon tearing. I dedicated that race to him and its such an emotional topic but I have done so many volunteer talks and helping out with Team Leukemia and Cancer I hope you know that no matter where you are you have so many friends there with you even the ones you don’t know or new email friends hehe.
I hope its ok I wrote this but I think you are curagious and inspiring and when we both hit that age 60 mark you never know we just meet up at a race one day.
Darl Sutherland
January 11, 2008 at 2:10 pm