‘ HAVE A GO ’ TURNS GOLD

Ron Simcock pictured with his national championship athletics medals. In the background is a memento he received from his wife for his 70th birthday that covers his sporting achievements throughout his life.

ASK 71-year-old Ron Simcock of Jamberoo just what his motivation is to compete in Masters Athletics events and hell tell you Anything that needs throwing I usually have a go.

Underneath the willingness to have a go lies a steely determination, a passion to win and a love for

challenges.

Always driven to improve the English born retiree was working towards the goal of becoming a national champion, something that was realised at the recent Telstra Australian Masters Athletics

championships, four times.

Simcock came a way with gold in the Hammer throw, Discuss, High jump, and the weight Pentathlon, which is an overall tally of the throwing events, silver in the shot put as Ron recalls the only disappointment coming in his pet event, the javelin.

I threw a personal best but the guy that beat me set a new Australian record, he said.

While he counts himself as an average athlete who would regularly finish mid field in athletics finals growing up, it was his talent for Javelin that landed him a scholarship at Public School in Birken Head a suburb of Liverpool, then later taking up Rugby Union University of Wales to study Chemistry earning a first class for outstanding results.

Then at 35-years-old the father of three then decided upon a sea change - as it is now called, moving to Australia where he worked as a Research Manager at Lysaghts.

His recent athletics success came after a 20-cent bet to quit smoking.

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I was playing Squash with some work mates and I couldnt beat one of the guys and I thought to myself Ill get you so I quit then started going to the gym about 20 years ago also, he said.

After 46 years without even thinking about a javelin Simcock joined athletics Wollongong after noticing results in the paper and the rest is history.

Hes still learning from other competitors and he has a simple plan for the future.

A new four inch hammer event is going to be introduced later in the year. One that weights 56 pounds and another that weighs 100 pounds.

There is no state record in that so I am looking forward to the challenge, he added.

Away from the athletics field Ron is an avid cross stitcher, winning the Kiama show competition on three occasions and is a keen bushwalker.

While he is no thrill seeker the bushwalking is the closest he will come to bungee jumping.

I am a member of South Coast Bushwalking Club and we do anywhere up to 25km in a day with maps and navigate our way through the bush.

I will give the bushwalking away first as it is hard on the body.

Peter and Sylvia at Kiama Leisure Centre gym are great help to me and I am enjoying the gym still.

I have noticed that there is a bridge club in Kiama and that is now on my to do list, he adds with a smile.