Now this is what I call a bio!
Ben Blea

A bio!!! Who’d a thunk it?? Somebody wanting my bio!! Strange, they say alcohol kills brain cells, however, I still have a few that contain some memories. I remember a coach named Don Moulton who taught a PE class called gymnastics at East High School. It was my sophomore year and a friend of mine, Gabe Litvin, talked me into enrolling in this class because he thought I could be a gymnast. I think it was because I could do a baby drop off of my mothers clothes line pole in the back yard. I learned a giant swing within a week. While I thought gymnastics was fun, I had zero interest in school. My only thoughts were of hanging out with my buddies, smoking cigarettes, sneaking beer from my friends dad, and listening to rock and roll. Elvis, Fats Domino, Little Richard. Man what a sound!! I had visions of being a rock and roll star! I dropped out of high school in the fall of my sophomore year and didn’t return until the next fall, which would have been my junior year. This time I lasted 5 months before I dropped out again. Amazingly enough, I had earned 1 1/2 credits in two years towards graduation. I recall that 15 credits were needed to graduate high school. During the summer between my junior and senior years I was contacted by the new gymnastics coach at East. His name was Bill Holmes. He passed away not long ago. He was a nice enough guy and he asked if I would be interested in coming back to school and trying out for the gymnastic team. Now, 2 years older, my priorities at this age were my chopped and channeled ’50 Mercury with baby moons, rock and roll, and my girlfriend Marlene in the back seat of my car. Bill Holmes persisted and I finally said “ sure why not”. He had 2 conditions. I had to go to class and I had to keep at least a 2.5 grade point average. I’m not even sure I knew what a grade point average was. As you might have guessed by now, education was not a big priority of mine, but at the age of 17 my gymnastics career was born. I only competed in my senior year and was fortunate just to get through the year without getting expelled. I recall the awful baggy pants we wore to compete. One very special man, John Quintana, let me use his DU gymnastic pants to compete in the last meet of my high school career. I was state champion on high bar in my only year of high school competition. Is this America or what???

I was offered a chance to go to college at DU or CU, however I still needed credits to graduate high school. With no sports eligibility left, I spent an extra year at East High to graduate and amazingly enough I was accepted at CU for the fall semester with a 2.6 grade point average. Do you think there might have been a bribe to get me in?? I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. Still thinking that I’d rather work at the service station and drive my ’50 Mercury with my new girlfriend Cheri next to me, I reluctantly took off for CU at Boulder. I got a speeding ticket on the turnpike on the way there.

The summer between my freshman and sophomore year at CU was eventful in that I showed up back to CU with Cheri as my wife and she was pregnant. (Damn that back seat of my Mercury). Mr. White was a little peeved, however, he made sure that we got moved into the married students housing . I never asked, but someone paid our housing cost and put some food in the refrigerator. For that matter, I’m not even sure who paid for me to go to college. Hmmmmm!

There are some memories that stand out at CU, but one in particular. It was a road trip for an out of town meet. Dennis Berg had missed the wakeup call for breakfast with the guys. I saw him having breakfast by himself in a back booth of the restaurant so I walked over to talk. Of course he had his typical morning cigarette in his hand. Just then coach walked up. I don’t remember if it was Mr. White or Coach Baer. Anyway, Dennis held that lit cigarette under the table! He wasn’t fooling anybody. The smoke came up from under the table and I started laughing. Coach pretended not to notice and just walked away. I bummed a cigarette from Dennis, asked him for a lite, and we both started laughing. The term B’s, C’s and EG’s was born. Beers, Cigarettes, and Eggs.

After graduation I looked into coaching and teaching, however the pay scale was less than what I could earn on a construction crew, thus, a construction worker I became. I never used my PE degree for anything but a wall hanging, In less than 2 years I had my own framing company with 20 employees. In another 2 years I became a homebuilder. I was building big custom homes and doing alright. By then, my wife and I and our 3 boys had moved from Thornton to Littleton. The 1980’s downturn took it’s toll and I found myself bankrupt, divorced, and living in a rental house. However, I re-invented myself and my building company and within 3 years I was back in the fast lane of a builder. I did good too! I was building multi-million dollar houses and big office buildings. They used to say, “Smoke em if you got em”, well my motto seems to have always been, “Spend it if you got it”. Corvettes, boats, and vacation homes. The current economic storm, however, is taking it’s toll and forcing builders and developers like myself out of business. We’ll see if I weather this one. Either way, I won’t move into a rental house or divorce my wife. She’s a 13 handicap and I need her for the Couples Club Championship coming up later this summer.

I met my current wife Barb in 1991 and we built a house on 4 acres here in Littleton where we still live. My middle son Devin and his wife Laura and our 2 grand kids Alie and Ben live next door. My oldest son Derek and his wife Roxanne built a house across the street. We’re kind of like the Corleone compound. My youngest son Danon is single and lives in San Francisco doing mergers and acquisitions. He was in the American Express building in New York on 9-11 and saw the 2^nd plane hit the World Trade Center. My step-son Travis is an actor in New York and will be in an upcoming TV program this fall. My step-daughter Erin lives here in Denver and she works in real estate.

Other than that, I really don’t have any great claim to fame like all of you. Looking at Mr. Whites bio is like Greek to me. Pretty intimidating and pretty impressive. And how about “Nags” doing T’s and A’s and Gary fixing people’s eyes so they can see those T’s and A’s. That’s pretty impressive too!! Look at Pat!! He’s got a direct pipeline to heaven. He’s been serving the Lord for so long that he’s on a first name basis with him. If we want to get to Heaven we’d better hitch a ride on his plane. Whenever I hear the song Sky Pilot by Eric Burdon I think about Pat. No, I haven’t written any songs, or swung on a trapeze above a crowd of people. Although I was once at a $100 craps table when I thought I heard someone introduce a guy named Tom Proulx performing high above us. That distracted me and I crapped out. It probably wasn’t the Proulx I remember, but Tom ,if it was you, you owe me $500 that I lost when I got distracted. Let’s see, what else is there! Oh yeah, I did get a standing ovation when I sung “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother” at a staid catholic funeral. I still sing at weddings and funerals and put on small rock and roll shows occasionally, but my dreams of becoming a rock and roll star never materialized. If you only play C, F and G and an occasional Em, you’re chances of getting inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame are pretty slim. Oh yeah!, I quit smoking about 25 years ago, but I still drink beer. My life’s’ been pretty dull compared to what you other guys have done. What else! Hmmmmm Oh Yeah!!! I have one helluva golf game. I’m only a 7 handicapper now but I got as low as a 4 a few years ago. Oh, and I shot my best round ever 3 years ago. I started out birdie, par, birdie, par, hole-in-one and I was 4 under after 5 holes. (I’ve had 5 holes in one) I shot 31 on the front nine and limped home with a 38 on the back nine to shoot my best round ever of 69. I ain’t rich, I ain’t sick, and I ain’t got no broken body parts. I ain’t got no 401k but I can still walk 18 holes of golf a day which I do 3-4 times a week and I’ve won my share of golf tournaments. So like Joe Walsh said, “lifes been good to me so far”. Hey Gary and Nags, it’ll be good to see you. Let’s have a beer or two.

Bill Padia here guys. Sorry I can't make the reunion. I was on Don's team at Aurora (became Aurora Central the year after I graduated) High from 59-62. I remember competing against strong teams like Fairview, Lincoln, East, and the Colorado Spring teams Palmer and Wasson. Also, we occasionally met with the Air Force Academy. Made many summer trips up to Trojan ranch above Boulder, where Robinson ran a summer gymnastics camp owned by "coach Walker" whose daughter Gayle later married an employee of mine in Sacramento - small world) Then there were the Christmas clinics at Arizona in Tuscon.

After graduation, I debated CU vs DU but ultimately chose CU (Sorry Doug!). Competed 4 years with Glenn Wilson as coach (good to hear from Glenn - he used to tell me that handball was the best sport and it took me a few years to appreciate that, but ended up playing for over 20 years). My strongest memories of CU competition were driving through winter storms in a packed station wagon to such glamorous places like Lincoln, Ames, and the Kansas schools. Lots of fun with great teammates (see picture of 63-64 team on this blog). Got married in '66 to Beth Breneman (Aurora HS, '62; CU '66) whom many of you know, and we are still married.

After CU, I went to work for then Martin-Marietta in Littleton, putting my math degree to good use. During that time I helped Tom Jenkins in his coaching job at Littleton High. After a year, I decided I wanted to coach gymnastics and teach math so I took the Fairview High spot vacated by Art White. Coached there for 2 years (67-68, 68-69) and really loved it. However, I was drafted (remember those days, deferments, etc) into the army but wisely joined the Navy to avoid the GDI. Worked out with the U of Hawaii team briefly before an injury on the high bar.

After the Navy, went back to grad school at CU and got a PhD in Educational Research. Worked out with Dave Wardell's team (72-75) and watched a lot of good gymnastics. Got a job in '75 with the California Dept of Education in Sacramento where I have been ever since (retired last year). Saw Don and his ASU team many times through the years at Stanford, Cal and UC Davis) Also ran into Art White at professional conferences throughout the years. I have stayed in contact with Tom Jenkins, Warren Boatwright, Courtney Willis, my good buddy Perry Guinn and numerous phone conversations with Don who does such a great job staying connected to the gymnastics grid.

I have included a recent picture of me on my boat fishing in Lake Tahoe last summer. No more one arms for me (or two arms for that matter) but, like you, I have all the great memories of good buddies and strong role models with Don and Art. All in all, a great run...Bill

How about some more memories like the one's Eric shared below about how a coach or team mate helped or encouraged you. They can even be funny! Ask me at the reunion about the blubbering fest Jack Ryan and I had (I won't tell) or about the "photo opportunity" Ben Blea and Eric Singer gave my future wife!


Eric Singer

Pat,
I thought I would share a little about what Coach White and his great presence meant to me . In 1976 I was asked to take the US team of Ron Galimore, Sam Schuh, Debbie Wilcox and Marcia Ginsberg to the South Africa Cup. To make a long story short I was hired by The Deutscher Tuner-Bund (the USGF of Germany) as a regional coach. The next year I was installed as the Head National Coach and did the training for the next 8 years.
Back to Coach White,he taught the importance of personal control,giving 150% for the gymnast and when you are counted out you come back and win. I can't ever repay him for his kindness,strength and ability to make you feel like a winner,even with ripped hands, a crappy routine, but always with character and form! Looking like a winner creates in the very soul a sense of a winner. Act like a winner and you win, maybe not at that meet but in your spirit and watch out for next meet, that all encompassing feeling of positive motivation. This carried through to the 14 gymnasts I coached at the Olympic Level, my "ability" to impress upon young gymnasts that they are special and can win. The determination to always do your best and then give another 25%. I will never forget the 1965 State meet, I was definitely an underdog, Coach White said I could and I did.

This scenario played out at the 1978 World Championships for me. My team was ranked 10th and we needed to be in the top 8 to make the Olympics. I trained them and thought about what would Coach White do. At the end of the Worlds in Hungary, we beat the home team and qualified for Moscow 8th. Not a missed routine in 4 rounds of competition, they believed they could (as I learned so well from Coach White). I'm sure each of us who were a part of the Big 8 Championship Team or had that great feeling of finishing 6th at Nationals or even not, but still had interacted with Coach White in our training or at his house on a summer night, will never forget the impact he had on us as men. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

So, now comes the current status, living in the south and love it. I was blessed with a great life and at this time I am not so blessed with Multiple Sclerosis and a few of the wonderful issues related to that, kinda like having ripped hands and wanting so badly to do High Bar...... I'm fortunate in that I can still walk (most of the time)
Pat, I guess God paid me back for the gimp jokes. Well,I still have it better than you Kirk, I'm so very sorry for you,my prayers are with you.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you again,we will have a good time and tell all those life stories that denote the OLD FART syndrome. Pat, we all owe you so much for making this happen,thank you.

Eric Singer Fairview/CU

(Looks to me like Fairview may take the trophy home for the "walking wounded" between Eric, Kirk and myself! I hope no other team will try to compete with us in this arena. Pat)

1962 DU Invitational

STILL RINGS: Rich Blanton Lincoln 1st, Bill Padia Aurora 2nd, Warren Boatright Palmer 3rd, Perry Guinn Aurora 4th, Pendergrast South 5th, Dave Beeson Lincoln 6th

VAULT: Bill McFillen Lincoln 1^st, Bobby Fisher TJ 2^nd. Unknown suit 3^rd, Bill Padia Aurora 4^th, Terry Pershing South 5thTRAMP: Terry Day Lincoln Tied for 1st, Mike Gurian Lincoln Tied for 1^st, Rich Nadeau Lincoln 3^rd, Robin Yetter Wheat Ridge 4^th, Terry Pershing South 5th
SIDE HORSE: Pickerelle Pueblo South Tied for 1^st, Jack Ryan Aurora Tied for 1^st, Sanchez West 3^rd, Moore South 4^th, Aliger TJ 5th
PARALLEL BARS: Bill Padia Aurora 1^st, Rich Blanton Lincoln 2^nd, Ted Nadeau Lincoln 3^rd, Bobby Fisher TJ 4^th, Norland South 5thHIGH BAR: Terry Pershing South 1^st, Bill Padia Aurora 2^nd, Rich Nadeau Lincoln Tied for 3^rd, Reed Lincoln Tied for 3^rd, Rich Blanton Lincoln 5^th, Jim Lamb Lincoln Tied for 6^th, Thomas GW Tied for 6th

TUMBLING: Bill McFillen Lincoln 1^st, John Tracy Lincoln Tied for 2^nd, Terry Day Lincoln Tied for 2^nd, Courtney Willis AuroraTied for 3^rd, Bobby Fisher TJ Tied for 3^rd, Terry Pershing South Tied for 3^rd, Jim Rathbun Palmer 4th