A long time ago I was a young lad with wild dreams of becoming the next great Carl Lewis. I believed then and for a long time that I was destined to be the fastest person in the world and one day the Olympic Gold Champion. Yes, all that at the tender age of 6. In every aspect of my life I tried to live and be that dream, whether it be a run down to the local 7/11 or to school, as a runner I had to do it full tilt, always 100%. As the years passed and my dreams grew, I decided one day to join a running club. My first practise was on a sunny Tuesday afternoon around 4:30. My friend Chad and I were to meet up with the distance running group on the meewasin river. Arriving early, he and I sat on the grass and did whatever stretching we knew. Being the same age and good friends I knew then that Chad had only joined to support me, he loved running but not in the same way I did, I would die for it, I wanted to do it all the time. As time passed, we eventually saw out of the corner of the train bridge a group of runners coming our way, led by a tall older fellow with salt and pepper hair. When they arrived our way he motioned to us to join in, (we'd made a mistake and waited at the wrong bridge) and there we have it. Just like that Chad and I stood up and jumped in full bore with the group, no warm up or nothing, just a good old fashioned run. Exhilaration much!!! Fuck me what a ride I was on, I still remember the high I felt then, just being apart of something, even as menial as that. Later on we would stop and get a chance to meet some of the other runners and the old fellow whose name was Tony East, the head distance coach. From that first encounter I remember Tony being extremely witty and full of joie de vie. He and I clicked immediately as we sensed a similar bond for running. His smile and very charismatic way about him always made me feel good. Coming to practice and cracking jokes with him was by far my all time fav, and boy did he have some good ones up his sleeve. Even as my interests changed towards more sprinting versus distance running, Tony and I remained close for a few years. What I'm reminded most of him is his voice yelling at me during track meets in the field house, that deep voice of his still rings clearly in my head to this day. Thinking back on that time in my life, those early years, I'm clearly reminded of how he touched me with his warmth and open heart.
Even though you may be gone and we may have lost touch these past years, may you rest in peace Tony, you made a mark in my life, one that I will never forget.
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