An extra spring in his step (article)

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http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/23/Citru ... n_hi.shtml

An extra spring in his step

Retirement is anything but rest and relaxation for Spring Hill's Richard Lowery, who at 75 years old is quite the accomplished high jumper.

By DAVID MURPHY
Published July 23, 2006
Richard Lowery is really just a regular guy. He has two arms, two feet, two eyes and full command of the English language.

He also wakes up at 4:30 in the morning three times a week, speed walks 2 miles, run-jumps for another, does 200 sit-ups, lifts weights, eats some breakfast, then spends about an hour in an aerobic room at the gym jumping up and down and attempting to hit a plate dangling 93 inches above the floor with his head.

You know, stuff regular guys do.

He doesn't believe in the Atkins diet, doesn't drink Coca-Cola and eats a lot of pasta and fruit.

He doesn't take any medication, has never been hospitalized and looks like he might eventually out-live Moses.

But, you know, he's just a regular guy.

A regular 75-year-old guy.

"I'm trying to find out how much a 75-year-old guy can do," he says, "How hard can he train? How hard can he practice? What can a 75-year-old guy accomplish?"

Lowery is a high jumper. And not just any high jumper.

A 75-year-old high jumper.

A 75-year-old high jumper who in the middle of June won the 75-and-over age group at the Sunshine State Games with a jump of 4 feet, 8 inches. A 75-year-old high jumper who currently holds the American record in his age group and is only three-quarters of an inch behind the world-record holder.

At his age, most people are happy just to be able to walk to the dinner table without fracturing their pelvis.

Lowery?

He could jump onto the dinner table if he wanted to.

"It's only 30 inches off the ground," he says. "But I have a glass table and I'm afraid of what might happen."

Not that Betsey would be surprised.

Betsey is his wife, and in the 39 years they have been married, she has grown accustomed to her husband's exploits.

They met in the early 1960s. He was a conductor in the rail yards on the Central Maine line. She was a book keeper. A mutual friend told Richard he knew a girl who loved classical music. They went out to dinner on their first date, and while they were walking down the street, Richard suddenly jumped in the air and clicked his heels together.

"I thought, 'My goodness. What kind of person is this?' " Betsey says.

They married in 1966 and spent their time raising a daughter and performing in community theatre together and skiing at Sugar Loaf.

Once they were riding a chairlift and the weather was cold and gray and rainy, and Richard looked at Betsey and said, "You know, we paid to do this?"

So when they retired, they bought a place in Spring Hill and settled down to a life of walking and golfing and enjoying each other's company.

Then, six years ago, a friend told Lowery about Master's Track.

Or, as he calls it, "track for old people."

"I didn't even know there was such a thing," he says.

He went to a meet, and while he was there, he saw a 65-year-old woman competing in the pole vault.

Lowery thought, "I can do that."

Problem is, Betsey wasn't exactly thrilled about watching her husband use a pole to fling himself over a bar high in the air.

"She said, 'If you think you are going to pole vault, then get yourself a good divorce lawyer,' " Lowery says. "And that was it."

So he settled for high jumping.

He bought books. He downloaded articles. He studied training regimens.

One week, he and Betsey took a cruise. On the cruise ship, there were 13 flights of stairs and Lowery would bunny-hop his way up and down all of them.

"She's not the only one who thought I was crazy," Lowery says.

In his first meet, he didn't even jump 4 feet. Now, he does it with ease.

At first, it doesn't seem fair that a guy who has been eligible for the senior discount at Wendy's for two decades would probably also kick your rear in a street fight.

But he isn't alone.

According to MastersTrack.com, nearly 10,000 athletes participate each year in Master's Track, which operates under the umbrella of USA Track and Field.

All are at least 35 years old.

This is Lowery's first year competing in the 75-and-over age group. For the previous five years, he has competed at 70 and over.

Lowery's top mark in 2006 is 4-08, which is 7.75 inches behind the world record held by Eslo Kolhonen of Finland.

"I did 4-09 once," he said, "but the track meet I did it at forgot to call it in as a world record."

Lowery also throws the javelin and the shot put, and he is close to convincing Betsey to finally let him try the pole vault.

Says Richard: "She's weakening.

Says Betsey: "After all this time, if he wanted to hang glide, it would be all right with me. He's amazing."

November will mark their 40th year of marriage.

Of course, they'll probably postpone any official celebration until next year.

After all, the Florida Senior Games are in December.