Golden Oldies Gymnastics Reunion

TERRY TRUMAN
After graduating from Aurora Central in 1965, I attended the University of Washington, where Coach Eric Hughes was kind enough to offer me a full scholarship. The NCAA allowed freshman teams to compete in the Pacific Northwest Championship, held at the U of Oregon in Eugene, February 1966. I took third on parallel bars and fourth in floor exercise and was the only freshman to place in the top six of any event. Unfortunately, this was my last competition.

In December 1966, I contracted pneumonia, which persisted into 1967, and I was forced to leave Washington. Sometimes negative events manifest a positive outcome, and Selective Service instructed me to have my military physical while I still had pneumonia. The Adams County Draft Board immediately classified me 4P, meaning (like Woody Allen), in case of war, I’m a hostage.

From 1968 until 1979, I worked in the Post Office, graveyard shift at the old Terminal Annex at 14^th and Wynkoop and later in Aurora. After a divorce in 1971, I fell in with bad companions and spent my spare time at various bust-out joints like the Terminal Bar, now Jax, an upscale and trendy fish house. We got paid every other Friday at 10pm and the owner of the Terminal Bar cashed our paychecks. He had the first .44 Magnum I ever saw sitting on his cash register. On Saturday mornings (when our working week ended), we frequented another boîte of sophistication, Eddie’s Ribs just outside Five Points. At 7am on a Saturday, we’d have several beers and a couple of pigfeet dredged up from Friday’s cold grease. Working graveyard shift downtown in those days made me feel like Roy Batty, the replicant in Blade Runner, who said, “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.”

In 1972, Bobby Fisher called me and asked me to become a judge. From 1972 to 1985, I judged maybe 200 high school meets, including 10 State Championships, 50-or-so college dual meets, two Big Surf Invitationals, one WAC Championship, one Big 8 Invitational, some Rocky Mountain Opens, and the 1979 World Games Trials in Fort Collins. One year I was named Regional Judge of the Year because the judges’ association lost the plaque with Bobby’s name on it.

Best of all, I was reacquainted in 1992 with the lovely and fabulous Janice Bolls (we first met in 7^th grade), and we married in 1995. She had three grown children who have all since married, and we have seven grandchildren, who are more fun than humans should have. The kids and their spouses are all mature and hard-working, with intelligence, compassion, and superior parenting skills. The extended family is close and we all enjoy one another immensely.

Many of you on the blog remember my brother Craig, the acclaimed trial lawyer. He and I have always been close and he is a mitzvah in my life. Fortunately for me, I’ve been able to stay tethered to friends from the gymnastics days, including Gary Alexander, Bobby Fisher, Sam Sargent, John Young, Cliff Gauthier, Don Robinson, Rick O'Fallon and Coach Hughes and John Anthony from Washington.

Thanks to Pat Edwards for all his hard work, his diligence, and his sense of humor.

As Bette Davis said, ‘Getting old ain’t for sissies.”

KIRK ROSE

A "secret admirer" felt we didn't know enough about Kirk Rose who underwent open heart surgery a month ago so here's some added info:

FYI this is the web page set up by Kirk's youngest daughter  during his operation and rehab from heart surgery.

http://teambapa.weebly.com/bapa.html

Kirk is way to modest in his bio...:

In his early days he was a Handball champion in New Mexico

He is a highly rated Triathlete in his age group in the Pacific NW and a sought after Triathlon trainer for any age group.

He was a member of the United States Age Group Olympic Triathlon Team that went to Portugal (don't remember the year, sometime in the 2000's)

Ran his first Ironman last year and completed most of the work for his PhD

He was on a team called Scar Trek He of course was call "Captain Kirk"!
http://www.yourheartvalve.com/patientstories/scartrek.htm

And here is part of an interview he did with Paula Zahn

http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0309/09/pzn.00.html

ZAHN: It is remarkable to find anyone who's in good enough shape to take part in a 200-mile relay, but members of the Scar Trek teams have done more than train their wills and their bodies. Each one of them has overcome life-threatening medical problems and surgeries. Not only are they alive and kicking, in the relay, they actually take turns that average about 18 miles at a time, serving, they hope, as an inspiration to others. Wile the American Heart Association says moderate exercise is good for heart patients, what these runners do is above and beyond. Of course, before you get inspired, make sure you check with your physician, but you may well be inspired after you hear their stories.

Two members of Scar Trek, Andrew Karpless (ph) and team captain Kirk Rose join me from Eugene, Oregon. Congratulations, gentlemen.

KIRK ROSE, SCAR TREK TEAM CAPTAIN: Thank you.

ANDREW KARPLESS, SCAR TREK TEAM MEMBER: Thank you.

ZAHN: Welcome back to the world of elite athletes here. Andrew, tell us a bit about why you took up running after surgery. I know some members of your family thought you were nuts.

KARPLESS: Yes. I think I took it up because of the challenge and a chance -- I mean, Kirk and his friends asked me to be on the team, and I wanted to -- I've always been athletic, and I just wanted to experience that again and see that -- push my heart to the limit, kind of, with the new artificial valve that it had, and show that I could still do the things I used to do and even more. I had never run that fast before or that far before. So it was the excitement and the adventure.

ZAHN: And Kirk, as a result of open-heart surgery, you decided this would be a good way to come back. Did you have any concerns about how this might affect your health?

ROSE: Well, actually, I have been running since the second open- heart surgery, and competing in triathlons. So for me, it was probably the least amount of change from my normal activity. But yes, the first time out of the chute, so to speak, it was a big deal. But this time, it was more about getting these gentlemen together and having a team effort and sharing the types of things we went through, having had open-heart surgery, and being able to perform at the level that we performed.

ZAHN: Well, Kirk, you're so modest. I don't think you're going to make it clear to our audience exactly what you've had to confront since surgery. You've had some memory loss, some bouts with epilepsy. This has not been easy for you.

ROSE: Well, everybody in life has challenges, and hopefully, we can rise to them, and others will be inspired to do the same.

ZAHN: Andrew, you want to send the message tonight that anything is possible.

KARPLESS: Yes. I could have done more after my surgery than I did it before, and I'm so excited to have taken care of the heart problem, even though it was actually optional surgery. And so now it's history, and I look forward to a rich life continuing in the future.

ZAHN: Well, you're setting the bar very high for the rest of us. Kirk Rose, Andrew Karpless, thank you for sharing your stories with us tonight.

ROSE: You're welcome.

KARPLESS: Thank you very much, Paula.

Kirk in a nutshell or less:

FINALLY - A real bio!

1965 Graduated from Fairview ~ Went to Colorado State College and studied Physical Education and Health. Competed for Colorado State College coached by Tony Rossi. Competed on a couple of Colorado All Star Teams with moderate success.

1969 Married Mary Helen Reilly. We have two daughters, Michel Ann and Angela de Julia, six grandchildren and still have our folks around.

In 1971 I coached the Loveland High School team and then traveled to Kansas State University where I earned a Masters degree and, once again, coached gymnastics.

1972 took a job as Gymnastics coach at Eastern New Mexico University. Taught at ENMU for 5 years and then the heart went bad.. 1977 had Open Heart Surgery in Lubbock Texas where my aortic valve was replaced.

1978 & 79 worked on my Phd at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. Continued to compete in open meets, judged and coached when possible.

1979 moved to Lebanon, OR where I coached women's gymnastics for several years and taught Health, PE, Art & Computer Science.

1992 Another heart surgery ended all gymnastics and the handball habit I had picked up in Kansas. Took up Running and then Triathlons to keep in shape.

2001 Retired from teaching and took a job as a handyman at a public swimming pool in Corvallis, Oregon and moved to Albany, Oregon where we currently reside.

2008 After several years on the Triathlon circuit and some top 10 finishes at the National Championships I decided to complete an Ironman event and did so at the Arizona Ironman event in Tempe on November 23rd. The cutoff time for all athletes was 17 hours and I finished in 12:55:54. I consider this my most difficult challenge in all athletics, had a blast! (Ok, Ironman = 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride followed by a Marathon... pure fun.

2009 Heart goes bad and on May 15 had my ascending Aorta and Aortic valve replaced... not fun!

Mary Helen is the one that kept me going thru all of the fun and is still at my side.. not sure why?

All Dominick has to do is mention the 1964 State Meet and Terry sends me newspaper article about it! How' s that for service?
We'll do it in green since AC won the title.

Remember - you should be able to click on the article to enlarge it for reading. I actually saw Dominick's name quite a few times!

Dominick Rose

After Gymnastics:

Gymnastically speaking the high point of my career was 2^nd Place All-Around at State 1964. Unfortunately I have no photo of that so the 1964 Fairview High Gymnastics team photo will have to suffice! After graduation I attended DU for a short period of time (my belated apologies to Doug) followed by a couple of interrupted years at CSC without graduating (now UNC); guess I was not ready for college as a very young man!

Academically Speaking:

I did a tour in the Marine Corps and spent a few years working as a journeyman Cabinetmaker and Carpenter before returning to college in 1979 to finish my degree. I graduated from Colorado State University 1982 BS Industrial Construction Management “With Distinction”. I made the Deans List 6 of the 8 semesters I attended. Amazing what you can accomplish if you put your mind to it.

A funny thing happened while attending CSU. I ran into a “Chicken” at a basket ball game... of course it was Jim Fulcher… I recognized him by the way the “Chicken” moved… some things never change.

I worked as a Construction Manager in the years after graduation from California to New Jersey and Louisiana to Edmonton, Alberta; for the past 20 years as an Estimator earning the designation Certified Professional Estimator. I am currently employed by CDM of Cambridge MA (near Walt Oney’s home town of Boston). I am the Manager of Estimating Systems Development.

I finally married the girl of my dreams in 2001, the former Jennifer FitzRandolph, Fairview Class of 1966. We have 6 grandsons one of which (Anthony) is pictured with us in the cockpit of the “Spruce Goose”. We live in a small town in Oregon. The front porch of our house has five rocking chairs and a swing all facing the setting Sun… life is good.