Nasgaweb Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home » Nasgaweb Forums » General
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Retirement and Gratitude
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login


Database

scottishheavyphotographs.com Old Celt Equipment

Retirement and Gratitude

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
TomLawrence View Drop Down
Postaholic
Postaholic
Avatar

Joined: 1/11/13
Location: Blairsville, GA
Status: Offline
Points: 2696
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TomLawrence Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Retirement and Gratitude
    Posted: 5/12/22 at 9:55am

Clan Heavy,

I’m turning 50 this year and have decided to retire from throwing.  I’ve gone through a lot of mental and physical changes in the last few years that I’m still rebuilding from, and I’m just not holding up well to the punishing nature of throwing anymore.  So, I’m doing other athletic things with my family instead, and we’re having fun.

I’ll never give up the barbell though.  It was always my first love, and I’ve got a great coach to keep me from flying to bits.  I can still dead lift more than double my body weight, so I got that going for me.

That said, the past 10 years as a Highland Games athlete have been among the most fun in my adult life, largely because of the people.  I was never good, but I was solidly mediocre, and I had the best time. 

Here are some highlights and gratitudes –

  • Breaking 70’ in hammer, 25’ in HWFD, and 24’ in Sheaf for PRs all in the same games.  That was 2017 in Blairsville, and I won third in Masters.
  • Duncan McCallum (who was already one of the top amateurs at the time) coming up to me on the field at my first ever games and telling me he would shag for us Bs so we could concentrate on throwing.
  • Dave “Butterbean” Summers, Dave Fulford, and the rest of Clan Dave for teaching me to not take myself too seriously.
  • Jay “Big Daddy” O’Neil and Hoss Lathrup for “Fork Talk”, farewell and adieu…
  • The incredible John Owen spray painting his hand with trig marker before throwing hammer once because he mistook (or was misled, depending on who you ask) it for tacky.
  • Turning my first caber in competition in front of my family after the same John Owen handed it off to me and said, “Don’t think about it, just do it.  You got it.”
  • Winning Athlete of the Day and the Georgia Hussar Award at the Savannah Highland Games, complete with a giant claymore.
  • Years of valuable advice from Craig Smith, the man with his finger squarely on the BS switch.
  • Sean Langford for sneaking in and nudging the BS switch back the other direction.  I miss him so much.
  • Technical help from Duncan McCallum, Jeff Kaste, Shane Southerland, Kent Durso, Nate Parker, Jake Sullivan, Bill Gray, Brittney (nee)Boswell, John McClain and a host of other wonderful people who went out of their way to help a little guy get better.  I didn’t deserve any of you.
  • Mike Dickens grabbing my hand in the Dutch and Dylan Predator pose and yelling, “You son of a bi…!” at the NTKO games one year.
  • Myles Wetzel hugging me at a game in Alabama just a few days before my father died and saying, “I love you, brother.”  That meant more than anything in that moment.
  • The whole of the Highland Games community coming together to support my son, Duncan, when he was the March of Dimes regional ambassador in 2013 and raising over twenty thousand dollars to help prevent premature birth.
  • All my fellow throwers in Tennessee (you all surpassed me fairly quickly), Florida, the Carolinas, and Texas.
  • James Bullock for keeping me strong and keeping me safe.  Doctore est diabolus.
  • Jason Clevenger and Mike Landrich for keeping me in equipment at reasonable prices.
  • Bill Gray for embodying what the soul of a strength athlete should be.

I’ll be around.

Tom
Aim high. Stay hungry.
Back to Top
Sammy68123 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 6/15/08
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 735
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sammy68123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 5/12/22 at 3:54pm
I'm so glad that the HG gave you so many great memories!  My motto has been "have fun, don't get hurt".  Entering my 16th season now, I'm feeling a little weary also, so I can relate to what you're saying. 

Keeping up with strength training is the ticket to staying independent as we get older (the exercise physiologist in me talking): the biggest predictor of whether you'll end up in a nursing home is the strength of your legs.  I'm happy that you've said you'll keep with the barbell.

What other new athletic things will you be doing with the family? 
Teresa Merrick
Bellevue, NE
Back to Top
TheJeff696 View Drop Down
Postaholic
Postaholic
Avatar

Joined: 8/17/10
Location: Dover, NH
Status: Offline
Points: 4599
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheJeff696 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 5/12/22 at 5:59pm
Tom, we may never have met but I always appreciated the kind words on my log. You did a lot of great things in this sport, personally and through the encouragement and banter shared in NASGA (even after it's own "retirement" which I clearly refuse to accept).

I wish you and your family the best in your future endeavors. Never give up the barbell, it's essentially medicine!

Take care, sir! 
Jeff Kaste



"I think there's a Squatch in these woods..."
Back to Top
Larry Satchwell View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 8/30/04
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 326
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Larry Satchwell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 5/14/22 at 9:14am
Congratulations on a wise decision Tom.  The heavy events take a toll on the body. I speak from experience, I stopped throw in 2007 at the age of 57 after 30 years.  Looking back after two total knee replacements and a total ankle replacement I wish I had given it up sooner. 

Training now consists of light weights and mobility stuff to keep those artificial implants from rusting.   I love judging and announcing at games but those opportunities are few and far between these days.  

I still visit this site daily as I’m not on Facebook.  Looks like Jeff wins as the last man standing!  Enjoy activities with your family and keep moving the bar.

Satch
Back to Top
Mr. Natural View Drop Down
Postaholic
Postaholic
Avatar
Top 10 in the USA - '02-'08

Joined: 7/24/07
Location: NY
Status: Offline
Points: 1168
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mr. Natural Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 5/14/22 at 9:42am
Good luck to ya Tom, I’m sure I won’t be far behind you!
Back to Top
TomLawrence View Drop Down
Postaholic
Postaholic
Avatar

Joined: 1/11/13
Location: Blairsville, GA
Status: Offline
Points: 2696
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote TomLawrence Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 5/15/22 at 5:01am
Thank you all.

Originally posted by Sammy68123 Sammy68123 wrote:

I'm happy that you've said you'll keep with the barbell. 
What other new athletic things will you be doing with the family? 

I started lifting when I was seven, then seriously when I was 14.  It's the thing I've done the longest, and I can't not do it.

For now I've lost over 30 pounds of throwing weight.  I'm doing a lot of trail running with #2 son and road running with the whole family.  I'm also trying to figure out swimming and backpacking.

Tom
Aim high. Stay hungry.
Back to Top
Mr. Natural View Drop Down
Postaholic
Postaholic
Avatar
Top 10 in the USA - '02-'08

Joined: 7/24/07
Location: NY
Status: Offline
Points: 1168
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mr. Natural Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 6/01/22 at 8:58am
Originally posted by Larry Satchwell Larry Satchwell wrote:

Congratulations on a wise decision Tom.  The heavy events take a toll on the body. I speak from experience, I stopped throw in 2007 at the age of 57 after 30 years.  Looking back after two total knee replacements and a total ankle replacement I wish I had given it up sooner. 

Sheesh, that's a LOT of mileage there Larry. I haven't had to go all cyborg yet (knock on wood) but I'm definitely starting to feel my age. For what it's worth, you've always been an inspiration - I think I started out when I a few years younger than you were, but I don't know if I'll make it to 57! Of course all the mountain biking crashing, bad tennis playing and late night music/drinking sessions probably don't help...

Hope you're doing great.
Back to Top
Sammy68123 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 6/15/08
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 735
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sammy68123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 6/25/22 at 12:33pm
Originally posted by TomLawrence TomLawrence wrote:

Thank you all.

Originally posted by Sammy68123 Sammy68123 wrote:

I'm happy that you've said you'll keep with the barbell. 
What other new athletic things will you be doing with the family? 

I started lifting when I was seven, then seriously when I was 14.  It's the thing I've done the longest, and I can't not do it.

For now I've lost over 30 pounds of throwing weight.  I'm doing a lot of trail running with #2 son and road running with the whole family.  I'm also trying to figure out swimming and backpacking.

Tom

Please forgive my delay in responding.  Sounds like you have a few new activities to pursue. 

I didn't start with lifting until I was about 24, but, like you, I know I can't do without it in some form.

"Have fun, don't get hurt"!  Smile
Teresa Merrick
Bellevue, NE
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 10.11
Copyright ©2001-2012 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.094 seconds.