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[Music]
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[Music]
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[Music]
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Runners only with dom Harvey and I'm
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sitting in the Retirement Village unit
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with the legion himself Arch jelly who's
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just gone away from the microphone he's
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just finished a cup of tea he's in the
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kitchen he's coming back around no roast
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mate no rush
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don't run
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this guy is incredible uh one in New
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Zealand's finest coaches ever uh 99
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years old when do you turn when do you
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turn 100 Arch jelly uh August if I make
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it what do you mean if you make it of
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course you're gonna make it you're
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looking incredible oh I'm okay yeah yeah
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I was um thinking about about you on the
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drive-in today and what you've been
00:01:10
through so you were born in Dunedin in
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1922 you you your mum and dad they made
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you after your dad returned from
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Gallipoli that's correct
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um then they there was the Spanish Flu
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which they survived just before you came
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along and then in your own lifetime you
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went to World War II you lived through
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the Great Depression and now the the
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pandemic the covert pandemic how has the
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covert pandemic compared to all the
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other things you've been through
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well it hasn't affected us uh to any
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extent really because we're in The
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Fairly uh sheltered environment here in
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the village so it's uh it's you know cut
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down a bit on social activities but
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apart from it it's you know we're okay
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yeah do you do you remember much about
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being eight years old during the Great
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Depression
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I certainly do yeah what do you remember
00:01:57
from that well uh my father had a
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struggling business and there was no
00:02:04
help from the government for people who
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lived in towns and uh but uh we were
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we didn't uh we we did it it was
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difficult for my mother to make ends
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meet but we didn't think we would
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deprived anything like that we just uh
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we were pretty uh uh concerted family
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unit and uh how did how did you end up
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going to the you went to the war right
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you went to World War II uh yeah so I
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played a a very minor role in World War
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II uh
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I was working at the uh when I was about
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18 17 18 I was working in the survey
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Department in Dunedin and then I think
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at 18 or 19 we were conscripted into the
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uh into the army and and then my friend
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and I we decided to apply for uh to join
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the Navy
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and uh so we we joined what was called
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uh scheme B and that was for people who
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had possibly the potential to become
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officers in the Navy and we and so after
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a further few months in the uh Army I
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received a call up from the Navy where
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were you sent to for World War II we
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trained in England
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right with um Chase first of all thank
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you for what you've done for our country
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oh no as I said I I was uh
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I trained for three months in England in
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the Navy and then I was an ordinary
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seaman which is the lowest form of
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animal life and uh and then I was uh
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second to uh a cruiser I knew he said
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the Russian convo I better not say that
00:03:48
now I went on the attic Convoy and then
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and we were very lucky we were no uh we
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we went via Iceland picked up the Convoy
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and went up to uh the Kohler Inlet and
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it was very bad weather in the in winter
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this was November December yes and we
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were sure in Kohler and uh with all
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sorts of uh cold uh attic gear and all
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this sort of stuff and then we came back
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and we were lucky again and we the
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weather was bad and overcome past and
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the German U-boats and and planes were
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hardly sighted us and we got through and
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so all convoyed into and then or if
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you're if your conducts were considered
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okay you were I went to King Alfred at
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Brighton and that was the Officers
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Training court and I went there and and
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then most of us most of the new
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zealanders got through and were
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commissioned as acting no temporary
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acting supplements
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and then you had to say what branch of
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the service you wanted to serve in for
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some unusual reason which I've never
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been able to Fathom uh I opted for a
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submarine service oh I don't know why I
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would never do it now oh why would you
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never do it now
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ah because it's too hazardous really
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even in peacetime you know boats get
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sunk and that sort of thing and then I
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was sent up north up north of Newcastle
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to blinds and and then the submarine
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course there and then then I was then I
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was on Coastal submarines for the rest
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of the war going even going in a
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submarine is something that most of us
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will never get to experience in our
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lives what's it what's it like being on
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a submarine how long are you under the
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water for do you get claustrophobic well
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when you run the submarine uh we just
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thought we were very privileged more or
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less and we never sort of you don't
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think of the day you're just sort of
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doing your job I was the uh either the
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Navigator or the Gunnery officer yeah
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well so what was the longest period of
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time that you were like submerged under
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the water in a submarine well the
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British
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submarines didn't have the snorkels so
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they could only uh there's only they
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could only stay under for a limited time
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okay um for a young man from New Zealand
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and a perverse way did it sort of feel
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like a sense of adventure we never
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really he just thought about doing the
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job really and he sort of enjoyed it but
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he didn't you never sort of realized you
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know the danger of it or anything like
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that and um so then you come back to New
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Zealand's post-war is is that when you
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started running
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no I started uh running at a very very
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early age and we used to we lived about
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three quarters of a mile from the school
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and uh we used to walk or run up to
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school at lunch hour we used to run back
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and have dinner and then then run back
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and uh so I was always a bit of a uh you
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know a runner and
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when I joined the survey Department I I
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was in the Methodist Church and the
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Bible class and sometimes said why don't
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you come and run in the uh in the uh
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Harry the Bible class run so I thought
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oh I will so I did and I won this race
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you say and even though I hadn't done
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any training but
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uh when I used to go down to work I if I
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missed the cable car I'd often run down
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to work and you know beat the cable car
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and naturally that's all the training
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I've done and so from that point on I
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became a runner at the junior level and
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I had a bit of success and uh and then I
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uh and then I was you know in the Army
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and in the Navy and when I when I got
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back uh from the war I came back with my
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elder brother who was in the fleet era
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uh we met the we we arrived in I think
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it was Christchurch first and uh uh
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we're talking to this young fellow and
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he he seemed to know a fair bit about
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our family and uh I said to my older
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brother uh who is this young fellow that
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you know knows all about our family
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and uh my brother said Jesus Christ
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that's that's your brother Stan he was
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only a small Schoolboy when I went away
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and he's sort of an adult didn't
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recognize him yeah and when I got back I
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rejoined the Mornington Harrier Club I
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was never a coach but I was a sort of a
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an organizer and I think being in the
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Navy and the commissioned capacity oh I
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was more confident that I'd been and so
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I I organized the club and and the
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runners in the club and we had we worked
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out what we what we called locality
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training and that was at all different
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parts of Dunedin the guys in our club
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did this special training that I set out
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and we uh and even though we were a film
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uh week club we we won quite a few teams
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races that's what I think and that's
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that's when I sort of started sort of
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coaching not exactly yeah now there's um
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I mean your coaching career is
00:09:09
absolutely incredible and we're
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definitely getting to that soon but
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first of all I want to clear up a rumor
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that I heard about you I heard that you
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you were you were a very good runner
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yourself and yeah it's reasonable well
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this may be true or this may not be true
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but you can clarify this but I heard
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that you could have potentially made it
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to the Commonwealth Games or Empire
00:09:29
games as they were called then but
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instead you went to Australia to chase a
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lady
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oh there's a bit of Truth in that yes I
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did go over to Australia and uh and came
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back uh
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empty-handed
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but I really yeah I really wasn't uh in
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the shape to qualify
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and this I'd put in a lot of training
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over seven I hadn't done that I was a
00:09:58
sole charge teacher in the country yeah
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Jesus well I'm guessing was this
00:10:02
pre-aviation so you would have had to
00:10:04
get the did you get the boat to
00:10:05
Australia flying boat a flying boat yeah
00:10:08
what's that what's a flying boat oh you
00:10:10
know the lands on the water on floats
00:10:13
wow for an international flight I've
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seen I've seen them before I've been in
00:10:17
one language this was a big one yeah
00:10:19
yeah quite big Jesus how much can you
00:10:21
remember how much it cost I'm guessing
00:10:22
air travel I wouldn't have a clue yeah
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yeah she's not a good investment though
00:10:27
you didn't get the girl so
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um okay just as well actually yeah well
00:10:32
everything works out for a reason
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doesn't it so then you you come back and
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you start coaching and um this is before
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high performance sport New Zealand so
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there's no money in it this is just a
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it's just now well I was in the country
00:10:44
then uh uh an in Soul Child school you
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know when I was in Dunedin I uh applied
00:10:50
for a job uh uh the New Year's Soul
00:10:53
charge school to Dunedin
00:10:55
uh and I finished up 50 miles from
00:10:59
wanganui on a sheep farm and then I ran
00:11:02
for the Martin club uh no I didn't do
00:11:06
any coaching in that club really yeah so
00:11:08
yes you're like a career principal
00:11:09
through your life that's how you that's
00:11:11
how you made your bread and butter
00:11:12
um but you just so you just sort of did
00:11:14
coaching just sort of for fun or just
00:11:16
because you sort of oh it was just quite
00:11:19
good at it just my hobby really I just
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not like doing it right so when um when
00:11:24
did you and John Walker meet when when
00:11:26
did that I was in Wellington for about
00:11:30
five years then I came to uh uh I came
00:11:33
to Auckland in 37 on uh January 57 and
00:11:38
uh and I I think in 59 I joined up with
00:11:42
Oracle club right and uh and when I
00:11:45
joined up there I was uh I'd always been
00:11:47
you know either the club champion or or
00:11:50
just about the club champion anything
00:11:52
and I found I found that I wasn't even
00:11:55
top six you know who was who was ahead
00:11:58
of you can you remember the names yes
00:12:00
there's one or two names you might have
00:12:02
heard before like Peter Snell and Mary
00:12:04
hellberg great packet Jeff Julian Etc so
00:12:08
did you did you meet Arthur Lydia at
00:12:10
that time oh yeah yeah yeah we never
00:12:12
discussed running at any stage is that
00:12:14
so uh never why not
00:12:16
oh I don't know no no well he uh Arthur
00:12:20
and I were feeling different types right
00:12:21
yeah but uh let's see
00:12:26
yeah well I didn't start coaching I
00:12:28
could see though that Arthur's methods
00:12:31
were you were very very good and uh
00:12:33
basically so I took you know careful
00:12:36
note of this and I did think at one
00:12:38
stage of it might be a bit bumptious but
00:12:40
I thought well um if a guy like a Hasa
00:12:43
can do it I'm pretty sure I can too
00:12:45
so
00:12:47
but so I was uh or the club captain and
00:12:52
a handicapper and goodness knows what
00:12:54
and I was all I was the organizer of the
00:12:57
Oracle cross-country races over at uh
00:13:00
hobsonville that was about oh probably
00:13:03
about 19 uh probably not in about 1970
00:13:06
or 69 something like that then right
00:13:09
after one of the junior races this uh
00:13:13
tall lanky chap came up to me and he
00:13:15
said my name's John Walker I said oh
00:13:17
yeah he said I got beaten today I said
00:13:20
well and that's what most people could
00:13:22
be and
00:13:25
he said well that's the first time I've
00:13:26
ever been meeting in the cross country
00:13:28
race I said all right I said well the
00:13:30
chapter beat you it was a tap called
00:13:33
McRae I said he does he's trained by Don
00:13:37
mcfarqua and he's running about 90 miles
00:13:40
a week wow
00:13:42
and I said you know how much you know
00:13:46
what sort of training do you do and he
00:13:47
said well
00:13:48
I don't do any training you know I just
00:13:50
race on Saturdays
00:13:52
so I gave him how old was John at the
00:13:55
time
00:13:56
it'd be about 18. right so us U.S first
00:14:00
coach
00:14:01
uh do you have any coaching before that
00:14:03
or was it just sort of oh well I gave
00:14:05
him a six-week schedule yeah and uh and
00:14:08
he won the uh Auckland Junior cross
00:14:11
country then he went down to uh
00:14:13
parapuram for the national lead for the
00:14:15
first mile then blew up
00:14:19
and uh and I think I yeah I continued
00:14:22
coaching him but then I I remember at
00:14:24
once said somebody uh from uh I think
00:14:27
was one of the journalists Raymond they
00:14:28
said are you and do you still coach John
00:14:30
I said I think so and he said well he
00:14:33
said well uh
00:14:35
so-and-so says that he is and I said oh
00:14:38
well if if he's been coached by someone
00:14:40
else I'll pull out so I pulled out
00:14:42
and then later on John ran in the
00:14:47
uh when he turned senior I think it was
00:14:50
19 then Senior he ran into New Zealand
00:14:53
uh uh championships 800 meters and uh
00:14:57
you made the final but finished last in
00:15:00
the final
00:15:01
and then uh in about what you would be
00:15:05
probably in about August or September
00:15:08
1971 uh he uh approached me and said
00:15:12
would I you know coach him probably back
00:15:15
yeah okay yeah was it was it was it a
00:15:18
sort of a case of um eating a bit of
00:15:19
humble pie oh I don't know I'm not sure
00:15:22
I never I never looked at it like that
00:15:24
yeah
00:15:25
but like Graham Douglas my old friend
00:15:27
from India he said that my reaction was
00:15:30
that I said I'll consider it but I don't
00:15:33
know if that's true really yeah but I I
00:15:36
said I would and
00:15:39
uh and then he uh he he said he enjoys
00:15:43
it John has always been a bit of a uh I
00:15:45
won't say American but he you know
00:15:46
really one of the boys and uh he he said
00:15:50
I'm you know prepared to try and do
00:15:52
everything possible to get the best out
00:15:54
of herself
00:15:55
so uh he started training and uh and he
00:15:59
I thought he was okay I had no idea that
00:16:03
he'd possibly be uh uh a worldbury or
00:16:06
anything like that is that right so not
00:16:08
not a huge amount of natural Talent
00:16:10
would you say you know you get you get
00:16:12
these very promising guys and they're
00:16:15
good but you know they're never going to
00:16:17
be well booted and then
00:16:20
uh on the uh January the 1st 19
00:16:24
72 he he was down at Tauranga watching
00:16:28
right he'd done his training uh in the
00:16:30
morning and he was down there watching
00:16:32
and they said why don't you run against
00:16:33
dick quacks in the 800 and he and John
00:16:36
said oh well you know uh I've had my
00:16:39
training and I haven't got my gear
00:16:41
generate I talked him into it and gave
00:16:42
him some borrowed gear and he ran and uh
00:16:45
and he beat dick and uh he uh uh did a
00:16:50
PB
00:16:51
and because it's In fairness to Dick of
00:16:54
course that's not dick was the top
00:16:56
runner in New Zealand at the time but
00:16:59
that's not Dick's distance at all so but
00:17:02
I was pretty impressed and
00:17:05
I wrote to the uh New Zealand selectors
00:17:08
and said uh I've got a we've got a guy
00:17:11
up here uh his big his name's John
00:17:14
Walker he's big he's strong he's fast
00:17:17
and and I think he's got the potential
00:17:21
to erase the name of Peter Snell from
00:17:24
the record book it's a big call yeah
00:17:26
it's big call let's maybe you were that
00:17:27
confident yep yeah yeah and uh and I
00:17:30
sent this letter to the uh I think it's
00:17:33
called The Evening Post in Wellington
00:17:34
and uh Dominion maybe the Dominion or no
00:17:37
uh maybe An Evening Post Yeah I think it
00:17:40
was called the sports paper generally I
00:17:42
I won the prize for the best letter of
00:17:44
the of the week and they sent me uh at
00:17:47
Union ticket which of course didn't win
00:17:49
uh what sorry don't call it an art Union
00:17:53
what's that like a lotto ticket okay was
00:17:57
this free golden kiwi I think you
00:17:59
remember the golden kid okay well uh
00:18:00
idiot yeah so uh and then John went on
00:18:04
to uh
00:18:05
he went he went to Hamilton for New
00:18:07
Zealand Champs and uh and won the 800
00:18:10
easily after that he did a trial for the
00:18:13
Olympic uh for the Olympics for the 72
00:18:16
Olympics and uh who was the beat him uh
00:18:19
skip Hunter the uh you know all black
00:18:21
Winger really yeah he was also a New
00:18:24
Zealand 800 meter Champion very good
00:18:26
runner and and John ran a very uh poor
00:18:30
tactical race and uh and he beat him so
00:18:33
neither of them went to the Olympics
00:18:36
that's a that's a well thank you so much
00:18:39
for the history lesson today skip Hunter
00:18:40
I mean
00:18:42
yeah and all black that's um you know
00:18:46
top level 800 meter right now he was an
00:18:49
excellent Runner yeah I mean it's you
00:18:51
could believe a an all black would be a
00:18:52
good Sprinter like uh you know there's
00:18:54
been some particularly fast Wingers over
00:18:56
the years but 800 meters it's a tricky
00:18:57
distance yeah he was a good Sprinter too
00:18:59
yeah so okay so what happened between
00:19:02
1972 when John missed out on the
00:19:04
Olympics in 1976 where we're going to
00:19:07
get to this Zone yeah John was uh
00:19:10
selected I'm not sure what the title was
00:19:13
but they went out uh uh I'm not sure
00:19:16
exactly where the venue was but they
00:19:18
went up and I thought it would be 73.
00:19:21
John was selected to run in the uh B
00:19:25
grade Mile and he was a bit insulted by
00:19:28
that he thought he should be in the a
00:19:30
grade with you know Dixon and quacks and
00:19:33
that sort of thing and uh and he and he
00:19:35
made some rather oh he he made a few
00:19:39
remarks which quacks didn't like and and
00:19:43
uh and Nick what like can you remember
00:19:46
what they were no no but I can remember
00:19:48
what dick said well yeah what did Dick
00:19:50
say dick said uh Walker you'll never
00:19:53
make a runner's
00:19:54
[Laughter]
00:19:58
and and so John ran into B grade and and
00:20:01
ran ran a sub ran about 348
00:20:05
and it hadn't really run a mile
00:20:07
seriously before and uh but but then
00:20:10
after that dick
00:20:12
in particular Enron they were very very
00:20:15
good to John and they took him on this
00:20:17
uh tour of Europe and that was 1973
00:20:21
right and uh
00:20:24
and that of course they were a fairly
00:20:27
big mileage man and they handled it
00:20:30
quite well and and John was founded very
00:20:33
very difficult but without uh Dick's
00:20:37
help he would never have got into the
00:20:38
race at all but he had no uh
00:20:41
credentials really so he you know we're
00:20:45
very grateful for dick for what he did
00:20:47
for John and John he did I'm not sure if
00:20:51
he won many races but he he brought his
00:20:53
times down and he he ran 338 for 1500
00:20:57
meters so which was you know not great
00:21:01
but I mean I don't know well I mean it
00:21:03
was a long way out of the top so he came
00:21:08
back to New Zealand absolutely exhausted
00:21:10
but it would have been a good experience
00:21:12
right just made him faster and stronger
00:21:14
yeah so at that point were you were you
00:21:16
also coaching um dick quacks and no no
00:21:19
no no no never coasted earthquake
00:21:23
not really I I helped him for a while
00:21:26
but his his real Coach was his brother
00:21:28
John right he did a great job yeah let's
00:21:31
go to the um 1976 Montreal um Olympics
00:21:34
what about are you going to miss 74.
00:21:35
what's 74. come north guys come games
00:21:39
yeah okay so the 1974 Commonwealth Games
00:21:41
where were they Christchurch
00:21:43
Christchurch the crisis my dad's right
00:21:45
I'll win uh John was running all right
00:21:48
he had done and done some good training
00:21:50
and uh he uh uh I wanted him selected in
00:21:55
the 800 and 1500 and uh Arthur Legend
00:21:58
said no that's a mistake he should just
00:22:00
concentrate it on the 800 because the
00:22:04
top uh 1500 meter runs were Rod Dixon
00:22:08
who was you know sued at Munich and uh
00:22:11
Tony Poe I guess right and vagina won
00:22:14
the uh New Zealand title but then then
00:22:16
he got beaten by Rod Dixon in the in the
00:22:19
uh 1500 mile just before so
00:22:23
and then we came to the games and he was
00:22:25
selected in both so uh I wasn't in
00:22:29
crisis but John was and uh and he was
00:22:32
running I think it was uh about a week
00:22:34
before his race he was had to run the
00:22:36
400 meters and he he ran like a dog and
00:22:40
he ran about 49 instead of about 48 and
00:22:43
then I found out that he'd been uh more
00:22:47
or less you know sleeping in the sun
00:22:49
most of the day you know and he was
00:22:51
pretty pretty tired
00:22:53
uh so they started to write him off
00:22:55
completely so I thought I better go down
00:22:57
so I went down uh to uh Christchurch
00:23:00
and put them over a 600 meters a time
00:23:04
trial and and he did a really good time
00:23:06
and I said to him you know you're you're
00:23:08
okay yeah so then he ran the uh 800 uh
00:23:12
and he made the final and then he ran uh
00:23:16
third in the final and 1 44 9 which was
00:23:22
you know as the second and Best Time
00:23:24
Ever yeah uh his PB easily and then he
00:23:27
ran the uh then he ran the Fantastic 59
00:23:31
moon race with Phil but broke the world
00:23:33
record John did too but John was second
00:23:35
in that race amazing in their eyes were
00:23:38
just uh
00:23:39
I think the uh the day before and uh or
00:23:44
two days before John I took him out of
00:23:47
the village and he stayed with me at my
00:23:48
brother's place in Christchurch and we
00:23:50
had a game of cricket uh one morning and
00:23:53
it just it wasn't a day or two before
00:23:56
the race and uh
00:23:58
and John battered for a long time and
00:24:01
the bat was only uh a foot long and he
00:24:04
hit the Crouch down and and when he woke
00:24:07
up the next day he was pretty stiff and
00:24:09
so I said well whoever runs a winter run
00:24:12
and and somebody said hey do you think
00:24:16
you guys are Olympians
00:24:18
only then you yeah if only they knew
00:24:21
yeah why did you why did you pull him
00:24:23
out of the village and take him to your
00:24:25
brother's house
00:24:26
uh I just wanted to you know
00:24:29
it was he was he like that did he need
00:24:31
did he need someone to keep an eye on
00:24:32
him no no not at all no no he's very
00:24:35
very good yeah and uh we discussed the
00:24:38
race plan and uh uh we thought Jeep Joe
00:24:42
would be the the toughest competition
00:24:44
and though we didn't discount uh filbert
00:24:48
but in every other race like Filbert's
00:24:52
best time was 334. John's best time was
00:24:56
338 so he was nowhere near you know
00:24:58
nowhere near the others in time and uh
00:25:02
but Philbert and every race he'd gone he
00:25:04
went out hard and then blew up and and
00:25:07
we thought he'd do that but of course he
00:25:10
didn't and John took about six seconds
00:25:13
off his PB so it was a phenomenal run
00:25:16
geez that must have been exciting for
00:25:18
you for him obviously but for you as the
00:25:20
coach yeah well I was they always called
00:25:22
me the cam coach because I didn't get
00:25:25
you know too excited about things but on
00:25:28
this occasion apparently I said I was
00:25:30
with my brother and we were watching and
00:25:31
we we saw that you know John just got
00:25:34
beaten and we I was a bit disappointed
00:25:37
but then I looked on my watch and I saw
00:25:40
it's really 32 and apparently I jumped
00:25:44
up on my feet and yelled out to
00:25:46
everybody it's a world record it's the
00:25:48
world record
00:25:49
and so it was you know really exciting
00:25:52
it was a fantastic Race by Philmont but
00:25:54
it was by John too yeah so I I was um I
00:25:58
was born in 73 so I I I'm too young to
00:26:01
remember those Commonwealth Games but I
00:26:03
do remember like growing up through the
00:26:05
through the 1970s and John John Walker
00:26:07
being one of my heroes like he was on
00:26:08
the fresh up ads and he had that long
00:26:10
hair and he was very very good looking
00:26:12
after the 74 Commonwealth Games did it
00:26:14
become like a like a nationwide hero oh
00:26:16
absolutely yeah but then in 75 he uh uh
00:26:21
I didn't I didn't go away with him but
00:26:24
he was with you know rod and deck and he
00:26:27
was running very well over 1500 and then
00:26:30
he decided to uh that he could you know
00:26:34
he could have a go at the world mile
00:26:36
record and he went to Gothenburg he uh
00:26:38
that's when he uh did that tremendous
00:26:41
son when he he broke like he was there
00:26:44
was somebody with him for the first part
00:26:45
but mainly he was just on his own and he
00:26:49
ran first sub uh 350 Mile and 349 for
00:26:54
and we're with someone Pace him like I
00:26:58
do nowadays he either run about 45 or 46
00:27:01
I guarantee oh yeah he ran 346 yeah
00:27:05
man that's quite so that run sort of
00:27:09
changed his life everybody wants him
00:27:11
really yeah yeah like in what way in
00:27:14
terms of like endorsements and uh oh
00:27:16
yeah
00:27:17
right yeah amazing did it change your
00:27:20
life
00:27:22
oh my life didn't change too much
00:27:25
I was you know uh principal of a school
00:27:29
and that sort of thing that was my main
00:27:30
job amazing it's amazing that you
00:27:33
managed to juggle both like that's um
00:27:34
that would be unheard of these days for
00:27:36
a top level coach what about James
00:27:40
mortem is doing fairly well doesn't he
00:27:42
the Sprint coach yeah he's doing a
00:27:44
full-time job yeah yeah that's amazing
00:27:46
and then so the Olympic Games at
00:27:48
Montreal and 76 did you you you you were
00:27:51
over there you went over yeah I was
00:27:53
selected as a team coach okay yeah
00:27:55
during his build up he uh he had a bit
00:27:59
of a problem
00:28:00
and and it was it it you know turned out
00:28:03
to be a severe problem the next year and
00:28:05
he was a bit lucky that he he got away
00:28:07
with the uh uh with the Olympics
00:28:09
Thumpers went away there was uh Rod
00:28:12
Dixon dick quirks and ordained and uh oh
00:28:15
quite a bit and I was saying with him
00:28:17
beforehand over to Scandinavia and we
00:28:21
had had quite a few meets there and one
00:28:24
of the Highlight there was when
00:28:27
John ran the 2000 meters and uh and he
00:28:33
broke uh Michael Jazzy's record by about
00:28:36
four seconds I think can you remember
00:28:38
the time for 2K 451 four I think oh my
00:28:41
God that's fast yeah and of course it's
00:28:44
much faster now but it was yeah that
00:28:46
that record lasted for uh 10 years and
00:28:50
then uh cram broke it by one tenth of a
00:28:54
second
00:28:55
but of course it's much faster now with
00:28:57
elgarish
00:28:59
so that was a pre-olympics yeah and and
00:29:03
then we went on to uh Montreal so how
00:29:07
confident were you and John going to
00:29:08
Montreal like were you thinking the the
00:29:10
this is ours to lose
00:29:13
oh well it's very difficult when you're
00:29:16
the favorite yeah because you know it's
00:29:20
uh you know you think you can win but I
00:29:22
mean you're never quite sure at the
00:29:23
Olympics because anybody can you know
00:29:25
come up and and do it and like you've
00:29:28
got uh you know you've got one chance in
00:29:31
in uh
00:29:33
and on one particular day every every
00:29:36
four years you've got to be absolutely
00:29:37
at your Peak to do it so you you've
00:29:39
gotta you've got to have a bit of luck
00:29:41
as well yeah but then what he had like
00:29:43
that day didn't he it was phenomenal
00:29:45
uh yes yeah he did but uh he things went
00:29:49
went well but I mean it was uh uh you
00:29:53
know during the race and it looked as if
00:29:55
like uh it looked as if he was in
00:29:59
trouble because the the first 800 meters
00:30:01
were so so slow and they had we had in
00:30:05
the field there were uh three people who
00:30:08
had broken 144 you know that was you
00:30:11
know Van Damme and well Hooter and
00:30:13
someone else I think they were 143 men
00:30:16
and John was really just a 145 800 meter
00:30:19
Runner so it looked if it was made for
00:30:22
them but but John did the job yeah how
00:30:25
did you celebrate afterwards
00:30:28
oh we just had an ordinary celebration
00:30:30
we were very very pleased but it was I
00:30:33
think to John he was terribly pleased
00:30:35
but a bit quite relieved too yeah right
00:30:38
yeah but there's that much how did he
00:30:40
cope with the pre-shot did he cope with
00:30:41
the pressure right oh he's very good
00:30:43
like that he uh like in the 800 meters
00:30:46
he uh he was knocked out I was never I
00:30:49
never wanted him to compete in the in
00:30:52
both finals and he didn't try and get
00:30:55
beaten in the 800 but he was just out
00:30:56
kicked why didn't you want him to be in
00:30:58
both finals did you think I wanted to
00:31:00
win one of them right
00:31:02
which final would have been first uh the
00:31:05
800 uh yeah so that would have tired him
00:31:07
out for the 1500 yeah yeah okay so he
00:31:11
got knocked out of the 800 and people
00:31:13
started to write him up and uh generate
00:31:16
he said that he was
00:31:19
he wasn't really uh
00:31:22
disappointed about being knocked out of
00:31:24
the uh 800 meters but he was a bit
00:31:28
disappointed in something else and they
00:31:30
said what's that he said well last night
00:31:32
he said I was beaten at snooker by my
00:31:35
coach for the first time and he was a
00:31:38
much better player than I was so
00:31:41
but I remember the uh I roomed with John
00:31:45
at Montreal and uh well you're kidding
00:31:48
is that you didn't have your own rooms
00:31:50
you're sharing rooms yeah really yeah
00:31:53
yeah
00:31:54
was that common I think so yeah if you
00:31:58
share a room with with someone like John
00:32:01
it means that you've got 1 8 and he's
00:32:02
got seven eighths that's right what do
00:32:05
you mean oh he's most of his gears all
00:32:07
strewn all over the floor
00:32:09
what sort of gear like I'm I'm just
00:32:13
picturing him with a pair of racing
00:32:15
games
00:32:17
lots of beers lots of singers lots of
00:32:20
shoes and all that sort of thing Direct
00:32:22
on the day of the race I remember saying
00:32:23
to John but look I said you know we've
00:32:25
done everything and uh what we want to
00:32:28
do now is just lie down and have a bit
00:32:29
of a snooze so we lay down and I set my
00:32:32
alarm clock both sleep for about two
00:32:35
hours
00:32:35
and we got up and then started to you
00:32:37
know get ready for that to do the job
00:32:39
what an amazing partnership an amazing
00:32:41
relationship so you you say okay we're
00:32:43
going to sleep now and then yeah yeah
00:32:45
and you just have a nap yeah but he was
00:32:48
a very very he's like Peter sell
00:32:51
temperament-wise yeah very very good
00:32:53
temperament yeah and uh
00:32:55
he uh knew what to do yeah would you
00:32:59
would you say it was um just a coach
00:33:01
athlete relationship or definitely more
00:33:03
of a friendship
00:33:04
oh friendship yeah yeah yeah yeah you're
00:33:07
still in touch these days yeah yeah I'll
00:33:09
be seeing him next week how is he
00:33:12
oh well you know he's these days
00:33:15
he's not too bad but I mean you know
00:33:17
he's got Parkinson's and you know it's a
00:33:20
difficult thing yeah
00:33:22
it's very rough yeah I've got so many
00:33:24
memories of him growing up like I I
00:33:25
remember watching on TV when he did his
00:33:27
um 100th sub four minute mile oh yeah we
00:33:30
used to as coach then were you were you
00:33:31
the only coach you ever had I only
00:33:33
coached him for about 20 years so you
00:33:36
you met him when he was 18. so yeah but
00:33:38
then there was I didn't then there's a
00:33:40
bit of a gap yeah and then I started
00:33:42
catching in when he was 20. right right
00:33:44
so so his whole competitive career you
00:33:47
were us as as coached about yeah it's
00:33:51
incredible it's incredible it's one of
00:33:53
the I think it's one of New Zealand's
00:33:54
finest um coach athlete relationships
00:33:57
ever that doesn't get there he was very
00:33:58
uh a very loyal person I think yeah and
00:34:01
uh but he was a very good judge of his
00:34:05
own Fitness himself he knew when he was
00:34:07
right and when he wasn't right you know
00:34:09
he's very good he didn't he never you
00:34:11
know kitted himself
00:34:12
yeah that's amazing what you guys did
00:34:15
together phenomenal I think I'll think
00:34:17
about the only two times he was late for
00:34:20
training was when he got involved in
00:34:22
traffic accidents right and but no he
00:34:25
was a fantastic person to train yeah
00:34:27
yeah and you retired from coaching in in
00:34:30
2000 so after John who who were you who
00:34:34
were you coaching up until 2000 oh it's
00:34:37
like you know uh quite a variety of
00:34:39
people yeah but in the in the finish I
00:34:41
decided to
00:34:42
call today so you would have been in the
00:34:44
uh like mid to late 70s then in 2000
00:34:46
yeah why did you why why did you retire
00:34:49
from coaching then my first wife Rachel
00:34:52
died in 2000 and uh so you know yeah I
00:34:56
think that was probably the reason
00:34:57
probably yeah yeah that's right so she
00:35:01
um
00:35:02
yeah you guys got married in uh 53 yes
00:35:05
53 years yeah
00:35:07
that yeah I'm so I'm sorry about that
00:35:09
and then um then you you remarried a
00:35:12
couple of years later to the lovely Gene
00:35:13
who's just doing some washing at the
00:35:15
moment
00:35:16
um I I believe so her husband died died
00:35:19
the same yeah certainly has been David
00:35:20
and the four of us used to go away on uh
00:35:23
trips to uh Bridge tournament
00:35:26
because I became a bit obsessive about
00:35:29
Bridge
00:35:31
is that is that the sort of person you
00:35:33
are like whatever you do you you get
00:35:34
quite excited yeah right right generate
00:35:37
uh Rachel uh uh wasn't a bridge player
00:35:42
and David was a terrible bridge player
00:35:45
and they used to Gene and I used to play
00:35:50
in the tournaments and they used to pass
00:35:52
it around secondhand shops and you know
00:35:54
art dealers and all that sort of stuff
00:35:56
and you know they both died and uh
00:35:58
within six months of each other in 2000.
00:36:01
right so you so you and you and Gene
00:36:03
just sort of we we sort of bonded
00:36:05
together do you think you know the four
00:36:07
of us have known each other for a long
00:36:09
time yeah a decade right so was it just
00:36:13
like a natural sort of thing it's like
00:36:14
well you know we should we should get
00:36:16
married
00:36:18
probably yeah Gene might be able to
00:36:20
describe it better where is he
00:36:23
there Jen
00:36:24
he's hiding
00:36:26
do you want to come and tell the story
00:36:27
about how you guys got together Ken you
00:36:30
needed hahaha
00:36:32
pull up pull up a c we're just talking
00:36:34
about how how you guys got together
00:36:36
after you after your first marriages so
00:36:39
this man here your second husband at
00:36:41
jelly 99 years old doesn't strike me as
00:36:43
being a particularly romantic sort of
00:36:44
person
00:36:45
definitely definitely not so how did how
00:36:49
did he woo you obviously you you sort of
00:36:51
both brought together by by a bit of
00:36:53
grief I guess after the death of your
00:36:54
your first partners and then um how did
00:36:57
he win you over after that
00:37:02
we were playing bridge together not
00:37:05
yesterday you're getting a little bit
00:37:07
closer yeah lean into it
00:37:10
yeah so you're playing bridge together
00:37:11
yes yes and that's all we would
00:37:15
we didn't do anything else together did
00:37:16
we how so how did he propose how did
00:37:18
that happen he's like quite a sprightly
00:37:20
thing did he get down on Monday no he I
00:37:22
was taking it I was in the car taking
00:37:24
him back home to his house
00:37:28
he's just bossing bossing her into the
00:37:31
mic yes he's very bossy
00:37:35
and that uh he was in the car and he
00:37:38
didn't get out and I thought
00:37:40
doesn't he move why doesn't he get out
00:37:41
the car and so I said you're going to go
00:37:44
he said well he said do you think I
00:37:46
should move into Pine song
00:37:48
he moved in without rep without saying
00:37:52
he was going to get married
00:37:54
so he just sort of invited himself yes
00:37:56
yes that's right and um how did you feel
00:37:58
about it I suppose you were both lonely
00:38:00
at the time so it must have been nice to
00:38:01
have some have a companion it was nice
00:38:04
to have a companionship we did lots of
00:38:06
things together we went traveling we
00:38:07
went to England we went to Australia so
00:38:10
we did a lot of things together after
00:38:11
that yeah and it's how old are you can I
00:38:13
ask is that I'm 10 years younger than
00:38:15
that oh younger woman a younger woman
00:38:23
so did you two um when you used to go on
00:38:26
bridge tournaments with your with your
00:38:28
first Partners did you guys ever sort of
00:38:30
think did it ever cross your mind like
00:38:31
oh he's a bit of a writer oh she's a bit
00:38:33
of all right no I never thought that you
00:38:35
never thought romantically no right what
00:38:37
about you Alex did you ever no there was
00:38:39
no spark or anything like that at that
00:38:41
stage right right
00:38:42
oh what a wonderful story I'm so pleased
00:38:44
you both found each other
00:38:46
it's great thanks for sharing that it
00:38:47
was so so I I believe you got married
00:38:50
and you didn't even you didn't tell your
00:38:52
kids or anything no no he it was his
00:38:55
it was his 80th birthday and his his
00:38:58
daughter gave her a little party and
00:39:01
during the party he spoke and he said I
00:39:04
have to tell you that Gene and I got
00:39:06
married yesterday is that how it
00:39:08
happened anything you want to you want
00:39:09
to chip him with well uh I was still
00:39:12
living in La Peter Avenue in Mount
00:39:14
Albert and Dean and I decided to get
00:39:17
married and we didn't I mean
00:39:21
well you didn't say no
00:39:24
and uh
00:39:27
and we told we told our family that we
00:39:30
were getting married but but we didn't
00:39:32
say when right so uh we got married next
00:39:36
door at Evelyn haynes's place and uh
00:39:40
uh Joe mcmenaman who's a famous coach
00:39:44
and uh uh he uh he came and uh married
00:39:48
us
00:39:50
and that was uh a few days before my
00:39:54
80th birthday
00:39:55
yeah a few days before right oh I'm so
00:39:59
pleased you found each other I mean it's
00:40:01
yeah yeah I think you've both been very
00:40:03
lucky haven't you you've both you've
00:40:05
both been married twice and you've both
00:40:07
been very successful Partnerships okay
00:40:09
so you you retired um when you were 78
00:40:11
in 2000
00:40:13
um what was that to focus on bridge and
00:40:15
bowls
00:40:16
no I I hadn't started balls in I haven't
00:40:18
yet okay so you retired the in the end
00:40:22
and then you you came out of retirement
00:40:23
in 2007 why did you come out but I
00:40:26
started playing balls when I was about
00:40:28
80. okay I got very keen on bowls too
00:40:32
it doesn't surprise me obsessive
00:40:34
character and uh uh we said and uh in
00:40:39
bowls if you're uh for the first five
00:40:42
years so I've never bowled before and my
00:40:44
sister came up to stay with us and she
00:40:46
was a a tiger champion in both she's and
00:40:49
uh and she said do you want to learn to
00:40:51
play balls and uh and we said oh I
00:40:54
suppose so you know we thought it was an
00:40:57
old man's game so we learned how old
00:40:59
were you at the time you were like 80
00:41:00
yeah
00:41:02
you're too young for bowls yeah so we
00:41:04
live we learned down here you see and
00:41:06
then right and then afterward played a
00:41:08
weaver we thought well we've been uh
00:41:10
join the block at Spade club so we
00:41:13
joined the broadcast Bay Club and and
00:41:15
then we bowling just about every second
00:41:17
day and and we entered for the
00:41:23
Auckland triples junior Championship
00:41:26
with Ellen Smith who's up here and we
00:41:29
won it and and then a couple days after
00:41:31
I I won it again with two other people
00:41:34
and but I was I think the last year I
00:41:38
won it I won the Auckland Junior triple
00:41:40
Championship uh I was 85 I think which
00:41:45
is really old age for a junior
00:41:50
yeah God it seems like whatever whatever
00:41:52
you whatever you decide to do it becomes
00:41:54
like an obsession
00:41:55
so yeah yeah
00:41:58
get a bit of Truth in that yeah yeah
00:41:59
yeah you must drive your Bonkers
00:42:02
sometimes
00:42:03
so so you came out of retirement as a
00:42:06
coach in 2007 what what was it what was
00:42:08
the trigger for that
00:42:10
a lady uh rang me up and said that she
00:42:14
had a promising Runner and she wanted
00:42:18
him coached by someone who knew what he
00:42:21
was doing and could tell him why he was
00:42:23
doing it and he wasn't too authoritative
00:42:26
and so that's how and I agreed and
00:42:31
that's how I started coaching uh Hamish
00:42:33
Carson right right and how did he what
00:42:36
was what's been his Peak is he still
00:42:38
running yeah yeah yeah yeah how's it
00:42:40
getting on is it good
00:42:41
oh he went to the Olympics yeah yeah and
00:42:44
he uh when he first started when I first
00:42:47
started coaching him he he used to get
00:42:48
trouble with Stitch and that sort of
00:42:51
thing and it took a long time to sort of
00:42:52
sort that out and then he won about I
00:42:56
think he won about six five or six New
00:42:59
Zealand titles that fifteen hundred yeah
00:43:01
and uh and then he uh we got him to the
00:43:05
Olympics the Rio Olympics he he didn't
00:43:07
uh qualify for the final but he made it
00:43:10
and uh he done quite well that's
00:43:12
brilliant that must be um the world
00:43:14
record for the biggest age gap between
00:43:16
coach and athlete surely surely I don't
00:43:19
know about that yeah it's got to be up
00:43:21
there and then then you retired again in
00:43:23
uh 2018 so you've been retired for four
00:43:25
years now yeah well Hamish is uh in a a
00:43:28
group with a over in Europe now and he
00:43:32
saw he sort of rang pretty well he
00:43:34
qualified for the world uh indoor Champs
00:43:37
and but then he he got covered just
00:43:39
before the champion he couldn't run yeah
00:43:41
but he's still running pretty well and
00:43:43
we we keep in touch yeah it seems like
00:43:45
you still keep an eye on Athletics and
00:43:47
you oh haven't you yeah you love it it's
00:43:49
just it's just part of your DNA yeah
00:43:51
what do you think of um that I mean
00:43:53
you've seen so much change in your in
00:43:55
your life like what do you think of the
00:43:56
technology now like um the information
00:43:58
I've got on this watch I'm wearing now
00:43:59
is probably more scientific data than
00:44:02
what oh yeah well I mean the same as I
00:44:04
mean all Hamish and stuff comes up in
00:44:07
here now right oh it doesn't oh yeah
00:44:09
yeah so his um his training stats and
00:44:11
his performances they come up on your
00:44:13
watch through Strava yeah yeah oh
00:44:15
there's been a huge change in that in
00:44:17
community yeah have you came because I
00:44:19
think like a lot of um a lot of people
00:44:22
when they they reach their Advanced
00:44:23
years they just they they they cut it
00:44:26
off and they stop learning new stuff or
00:44:27
oh no man I've always been a gadget man
00:44:30
yeah have you yeah I'm just trying to
00:44:31
think of like Dunedin in 1922 versus you
00:44:35
know Auckland uh alternating or anywhere
00:44:37
for that matter in um the year 2022 like
00:44:40
the amount of change that you've seen in
00:44:41
that time I remember when I was five and
00:44:44
uh and we were cutting our lawn at the
00:44:47
back and uh we didn't have a lawnmower
00:44:50
and and my elder brother he was two
00:44:54
years older than me he was using hedge
00:44:56
clippers and I was using a pair of
00:44:58
scissors and we got too close and he
00:45:00
chopped my finger off
00:45:02
and and and this is how and I remember
00:45:06
dangling by a bit then my father cut it
00:45:10
and buried it you see
00:45:11
whereas nowadays you'd put it in ice and
00:45:14
get it reattached and remember we asked
00:45:17
5 we walked up to the cable car got the
00:45:20
cable card down to Dunedin then took the
00:45:22
electric tram along then we walked to
00:45:25
the hospital and I and I was there for
00:45:27
about a week and but it was so you know
00:45:29
rudimental there's so primitive really
00:45:32
were cars around then in 1922 with their
00:45:35
with their motor vehicles there were two
00:45:37
uh people with cars in our street and
00:45:39
they were both plumbers right nobody had
00:45:41
a cat it was so expensive we used to
00:45:44
play cricket on the road yeah yeah and
00:45:46
no cars ever came through yeah and um so
00:45:49
you'd remember you would have been you
00:45:50
were probably you would have been a
00:45:51
grown man when television came along
00:45:53
oh well television came along in about
00:45:55
uh late 1950s as well right right yeah
00:45:58
that was that exciting black and white
00:46:01
oh yeah too right yeah yeah I thought it
00:46:03
was fantastic yeah and that's when I
00:46:06
lived in Mount Albert right any other
00:46:08
big things like that that you remember
00:46:09
there was just like super exciting I
00:46:11
don't know like cell phones or the
00:46:13
internet oh no I've just accepted it you
00:46:16
know yeah
00:46:17
just roll with it yeah because I I
00:46:18
reached out to you and you text me back
00:46:21
on your phone and I I've always been
00:46:24
keen on that sort of stuff you're 99
00:46:26
years old you're turning a hundred
00:46:27
when's your 100th birthday in August
00:46:29
yeah
00:46:30
how are you feeling about that
00:46:33
um I'm not feeling much about it I'll
00:46:35
just you know wait till I get there what
00:46:38
do you put your good health and um old
00:46:40
age down to
00:46:41
I don't know uh my my uh Grant and two
00:46:46
grandfathers died at uh 57 or today yeah
00:46:51
but there is a longevity on my mind on
00:46:54
my mother's side yeah my father died
00:46:57
from uh cancer of the esophagus is he a
00:47:01
smoker or yeah he didn't he we worked
00:47:04
out how many million cigarettes you
00:47:06
smoke okay yeah yeah that's never going
00:47:09
to be too good for the esophagus is it
00:47:10
so and you're still in remarkably good
00:47:13
shape I I've written an article about
00:47:14
you that said that uh so we're on we're
00:47:16
in your third floor apartment at the
00:47:17
Retirement Village
00:47:19
um up until 90 like you you were walking
00:47:21
and running up for three times I don't I
00:47:24
don't uh I don't run up now you take the
00:47:26
lift now or do you still walk I'm
00:47:29
walking about 4K a day
00:47:31
so yeah but not not in one like it'll be
00:47:34
in bits and pieces yeah yeah I mean
00:47:37
you've got all your marbles don't you
00:47:38
like you're physically I've never been
00:47:40
that Keen on Rivals actually
00:47:43
I mean that's one game we used to play
00:47:45
at school yeah yeah yeah yeah no but I
00:47:48
mean you like your memory is superb and
00:47:50
your ability to like recall details are
00:47:52
superb I mean it's just remarkable I
00:47:54
yeah oh well I think playing bridge is
00:47:58
quite helpful in that sort of thing and
00:48:00
you know I sort of invented my own
00:48:01
system at a bridge and we play that are
00:48:03
you much of a drinker uh I haven't had
00:48:07
any alcohol since about
00:48:09
1987 probably okay I was never a drinker
00:48:13
right I've had the idea and that's how
00:48:15
bad isn't it but uh no I never drink I
00:48:18
was never uh drank with the boys so
00:48:22
um not much of a drinker never smoked
00:48:24
physically I gave it up oh did you yeah
00:48:27
when did you when did you when did you
00:48:29
start and finish was that a war thing uh
00:48:31
I gave it up when I was nine right what
00:48:34
do you mean you gave it up when you were
00:48:35
nine well that's I haven't smoked since
00:48:37
then when did you start I used to smoke
00:48:40
a few wood bins behind the church
00:48:43
okay so none of my family have smoked
00:48:46
right so um the physical fitness and
00:48:49
basically just yeah you're just doing
00:48:52
all the good stuff I've always uh being
00:48:55
fairly active yeah
00:48:57
but I never uh I was never into big
00:49:01
mileage like you know uh my Runners were
00:49:04
ran big but I didn't yeah uh except when
00:49:07
I I used to go around the uh uh you know
00:49:10
out as the boys used to go around the
00:49:12
white x uh 22 miles yeah well then uh an
00:49:16
even bigger group used to go from our
00:49:18
place around the white X and and I used
00:49:21
to run with them uh 22 miles and at that
00:49:25
stage and of course I was a full-time
00:49:27
principal and uh going when I went
00:49:30
around the wire Tech treated that was uh
00:49:32
half my mileage for the week you know I
00:49:35
only ran about 40 40 50 miles a week
00:49:37
when I was running you know
00:49:39
I'm sitting in front of you like you're
00:49:41
you're 99 99 years old you're still in a
00:49:44
remarkable shape there's still so much
00:49:46
to live for you've got a wonderful
00:49:47
relationship are you are you are you at
00:49:50
peace with
00:49:51
oh yeah yeah yeah it's part of life
00:49:54
isn't it it is yeah yeah 100 it is
00:49:58
yeah
00:49:58
um I'm not that superstitious or
00:50:00
anything like that are you religious
00:50:03
no no no I was brought up in the Masters
00:50:07
Church yeah but I've got my own thoughts
00:50:09
yeah
00:50:10
how how much longer do you think you've
00:50:12
got because I was sitting in front of
00:50:13
you I could see you living to another 10
00:50:15
years oh that'd be
00:50:17
stretching it a bit do you think so but
00:50:19
I remember uh I wondered about a year or
00:50:23
two ago I I was working on my iPhone and
00:50:27
uh and I worked out how long I had to
00:50:29
have been putting in all the you know
00:50:31
variables and it was all the health
00:50:33
States and things yeah yeah and it was
00:50:34
three years and that was about two years
00:50:36
ago how many weeks no they don't know do
00:50:41
they no no no
00:50:43
I mean there's all sorts of variables
00:50:45
there's just a bit of fun really are you
00:50:47
um are you the oldest person in the
00:50:48
village here yeah and um are you excited
00:50:50
about the telegram from the queen no no
00:50:53
what are you going to do I know that
00:50:55
she's got nothing to do with it
00:50:57
that is so true she's not signing them
00:51:00
individually is she no probably can yeah
00:51:03
what's that what is the plan for the
00:51:04
birthday in August
00:51:05
no plan in prison yeah how old are your
00:51:08
kids
00:51:09
uh let's see Sue's 65 next month and
00:51:15
Martin's about 60
00:51:17
he'll be uh 62 very soon and Rocky's
00:51:22
about uh 55. yeah I know your son Martin
00:51:25
he taught me TM Transcendental
00:51:27
Meditation about two years ago yeah yeah
00:51:29
I was stoked to meet him I was like oh
00:51:31
so when I when I heard my um Team
00:51:33
instructor's last name was jelly I
00:51:35
thought I wonder if there's a connection
00:51:36
but between him and the great Arch yeah
00:51:38
he's your son yeah he's a great kid
00:51:40
saying well it's been a hell of a life
00:51:42
you've done so much any regrets
00:51:44
not really no no no no no no nothing I
00:51:48
mean there's plenty of things you could
00:51:49
have done better and that sort of thing
00:51:50
but I mean you know that's done and
00:51:52
dusted now yeah that's been a life well
00:51:54
spent and I still look forward to
00:51:57
improving my bridge system a bit
00:51:59
[Music]
00:52:02
I actually you're a remarkable man and
00:52:05
thank you
00:52:06
um on behalf of New Zealand for
00:52:08
everything you've done for athletics in
00:52:09
this country
00:52:10
um you should be very proud
00:52:12
yeah thanks John
