Hello Little Girl # 112 Marathon
Opa Johan was addressing her in “Reader’s Letters” via Bisnis Indonesia.
I was far behind you little girl. Suppose you were escorted, perhaps you wouldn’t have to drop out on the 36 km distance and could have reached the finish. Reaching it, that’s the Grand Prize. You would be proud and happy though you wouldn’t get the first Prize. Is there a grander Prize than self confidence, self respect?
Running the Marathon is something like going through “hell”, or subdue a very high mountain.
Just imagine, in this Marathon I was escorted by four cars. Riding in the cars were a doctor, a business president director, an engineer, university graduates, a nurse, a house wife, Chico and Foxy, our dogs. Genuine supporters who cheered me, attending to my water supply as the water supply of the committee was insufficient for a marathoner who needs more than four hours to finish the “deadly” journey - even aqua drinking water was used to cool my head and body. They also aided me to cross the cross roads, stopped the traffic many times as though I were the president.
At the heaviest battle about 40 km, an ambulance was following me, coming to aid, to rescue me in case of an emergency or should I give up as I was already running, slanting to the left as a kite that was skew, sloping to one side. Politely they invited me to step in, hiding their anxiety. At last, instead, my wife was picked up into the ambulance as she was left far behind.
And as a hero was I escorted by four cars and an ambulance to the finish in 4 hours, 23 minutes and 25,71 seconds, climbing a fence, running through, office rooms to the Madia Stadion Senayan, as the main entrance gate was already closed and most spectators, participants and the committee had left. But I didn’t mind.
To you who dropped out, never give up, be discouraged. When a man of the age group over 60 can make it, as me, you, who are younger and stronger, certainly can do it as sure as never(!) ha, ha, ha, if you care to exercise seriously.
Moreover, I intend to run 70 km on my 70th year as my birthday present.
Opa Johan was addressing her in “Reader’s Letters” via Bisnis Indonesia.
I was far behind you little girl. Suppose you were escorted, perhaps you wouldn’t have to drop out on the 36 km distance and could have reached the finish. Reaching it, that’s the Grand Prize. You would be proud and happy though you wouldn’t get the first Prize. Is there a grander Prize than self confidence, self respect?
Running the Marathon is something like going through “hell”, or subdue a very high mountain.
Just imagine, in this Marathon I was escorted by four cars. Riding in the cars were a doctor, a business president director, an engineer, university graduates, a nurse, a house wife, Chico and Foxy, our dogs. Genuine supporters who cheered me, attending to my water supply as the water supply of the committee was insufficient for a marathoner who needs more than four hours to finish the “deadly” journey - even aqua drinking water was used to cool my head and body. They also aided me to cross the cross roads, stopped the traffic many times as though I were the president.
At the heaviest battle about 40 km, an ambulance was following me, coming to aid, to rescue me in case of an emergency or should I give up as I was already running, slanting to the left as a kite that was skew, sloping to one side. Politely they invited me to step in, hiding their anxiety. At last, instead, my wife was picked up into the ambulance as she was left far behind.
And as a hero was I escorted by four cars and an ambulance to the finish in 4 hours, 23 minutes and 25,71 seconds, climbing a fence, running through, office rooms to the Madia Stadion Senayan, as the main entrance gate was already closed and most spectators, participants and the committee had left. But I didn’t mind.
To you who dropped out, never give up, be discouraged. When a man of the age group over 60 can make it, as me, you, who are younger and stronger, certainly can do it as sure as never(!) ha, ha, ha, if you care to exercise seriously.
Moreover, I intend to run 70 km on my 70th year as my birthday present.
From Bisnis Indonesia, August 12, 1991
On my 70th year I bicycled about 150 km from Jakarta, Parung, Rumpin, Leuwiliang, Bogor, Parung Jakarta in place of running the 70 Km as my birthday present. My son, Boy joined me and my other son Dickey, my daughter, my grandchild and my wife escorted me in their car. In a rubber plantation on the hills we had our picnic. It took me almost 12 hours to finish the journey up and downhill, at times along a muddy, bad road or traffic jam. Boy had a serious fall driving too fast downhill along a bend but he didn’t give up while I got a punctured tire. My escorts were “kapok” as they have had enough. Never, ever again(!), though only for less than halfway and comfortably riding in a car, ha, ha, ha.
On my 70th year I bicycled about 150 km from Jakarta, Parung, Rumpin, Leuwiliang, Bogor, Parung Jakarta in place of running the 70 Km as my birthday present. My son, Boy joined me and my other son Dickey, my daughter, my grandchild and my wife escorted me in their car. In a rubber plantation on the hills we had our picnic. It took me almost 12 hours to finish the journey up and downhill, at times along a muddy, bad road or traffic jam. Boy had a serious fall driving too fast downhill along a bend but he didn’t give up while I got a punctured tire. My escorts were “kapok” as they have had enough. Never, ever again(!), though only for less than halfway and comfortably riding in a car, ha, ha, ha.
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