When Cliff Young, a 61-year old potato farmer, shuffled his way across the finish line to win the 1983 Sydney to Melbourne ultramarathon, he did so in unique fashion. Known for running around his farm in gumboots (just rubber boots, but I had to look it up) because the puddles of water on his farm were always 6-inches deep, this unassuming, extra (ordinary) bloke had little chance of finishing the course by the looks of him, let alone winning the grueling test of will and stamina.
But what drew me to the story wasn’t the distance he ran nor his unorthodox training method. It was that he ran without rest. Now, while legend would have us believe he never intended to sleep, the truth actually makes the story far more powerful.
On the very first night, his alarm clock was incorrectly set by one of his team members and it went off half a day early. He didn’t plan it, but while the other half-his-age runners were enjoying needed R.E.M., Cliff got up trusting, pulled up his long pants and hit the course; a habit he would repeat until his race was over.
Now, for those of you who weathered my old blogs, you know where this is going and probably want me to pick up the pace. But guys, I can’t think of this story and not consider the parents we aim to serve at Jordan’s House.
Unassuming, faithful, sleep-deprived and battered, parents of kids with special needs show up to life in boots. Shuffling along, they balance schedules, marriages, singleness, the typical siblings, demands, deadlines, heartaches, loss, pain, medicine, fun days, scary nights, emergency rooms, tests, tests, and more inevitable tests.
And they go through life with a matter-of-fact deflection and fanfare of someone bringing in the groceries. Few people plan to be special needs parents, but they love their children with the fiercest love known on earth. Like Cliff, they don’t seek attention. They just get up before anyone else and run in the dark.
By the time he reached the outskirts of Melbourne, the crowds had gathered despite the rain and countless people were running alongside cheering him on. And why not? It only took him 5 days, 15 hours and 4 minutes to reach them; an astounding 2 days faster than the previous record.
What’s fascinating is that the audience wouldn’t see another runner for over 10 hours. To put that in perspective, Cliff could have boarded a plane in Los Angeles and landed in London before his closest competitor completed the race.
“The crowd sure helps,” Cliff said to a reporter who was riding alongside to capture what would be the first of many interviews. Embraced as the underdog, when he eventually crossed the finish line to a hero’s welcome, they put flowers around his neck, handed him a trophy and gave him $10,000 (which he wanted split evenly among his fellow runners.)
Soon parades were organized in his honor and he was given a key to the city. All because he did the unimaginable. He ran without rest. When asked if he enjoyed being a celebrity even for a day, he said, “It’s marvelous.”
Yeah, Jordan’s House feels a lot like the finish line in Melbourne. To us, every special needs parent is a hero. Please run to us. We’re big fans.
- Jimmy
P.S
In order for us to continue serving special needs parents, giving them the respite they need here in California, as well as in new locations being offered to us in Big Bear, Scottsdale and soon Texas, we need help. Ideally, we need about 25 people to come alongside us each month as recurring donors for California alone. Thank you in advance for clicking the button and joining The Table. By all means, show up in boots.
(Getty Images: Tony Feder)