Most of my family in Southern California gathered this weekend for my brother-in-law's surprise 50th birthday party. I unfortunately was 3000 miles away and unable to attend, but got a full report from my father, who was thrilled to tell me about a gentleman he spent a good portion of the evening speaking with. At the party, he was introduced to an old friend of my brother-in-law's: a former Olympic track cyclist and six-day racer named Russell Alan. Russell Alan, now 93 years old, raced in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and while he competed until 1940, remained active in the California racing community for many more years. According to my father, Mr. Alan never held a full-time job for very long, instead persuing a career as a "professional gambler". At the age of 92, he set some sort of record as the oldest man to bungee jump at a gorge in New Zealand. Last year, the feat was repeated by a 93 year old man and Mr. Alan 's record was smashed...temporarily. This year, Mr. Alan will spend his 94th birthday on that same bridge in New Zealand, reclaiming the spot at the top that is "his". Once a racer, always a racer. And it's inspiring for this twenty-something to see that even at 94, a determined man can still have some cork! I am hoping to get a chance to meet Mr. Alan next time I am in California. Oh the stories! Does anybody recall seeing his name? Mr. Ernst?
A quick google search turned up this interesting 1988 interview:
http://www.aafla.org/
Matthew Bowne
Brooklyn, New York