In case this article copy is not clear I will re-type it here. I hope it inspires many.
TTC worker breaks two world records
By Irina Burtan
What began as a hobby for Subway Line Mechanic and single-leg amputee Rick Ball materialized into great success.
Ball captured his second world record last month, running 10 km in 37 minutes, 54 seconds at the Ottawa MDS Nordion race, breaking Californian C.J. Howard's previous record by six seconds.
He also finished the 42-kilometre Boston Marathon in April with a Record-Breaking time of 3:01:50, beating American Amy Palmeriro-Winters' time of 3:04. Ball says that he hit "the wall" just two kilo-metres shy of the finish line at teh 113th Boston race. Right after crossing the line, he collapsed in the first available wheelchair. When he awoke an hour later in the medical tent, he was finally able to realize his achivement of being the fastest in his class. He says running those last two kilometres was the hardest thing he has ever had to do both mentally and physically.
Ball is a below-the-knee amputee due to a 1986 motorcycle accident. he started running two years ago after joining his local YMCA to stay fit. In 2007 Ball qualified for Boston by running a time of 3:17 in the Mississauga Marathon. His Boston time improved his personal best time by 16 minutes.
On top of his regular training schedule of running 80 km a week, Ball is also a swimmer and a motivational speaker to other recovering amputees as well as school children. He has even inspired many of his TTC co-workers to keep active and try running.
With athletes such as Terry Fox as inspiration, he says his long-term goal is to qualify for the 2012 Paralympics on the Canadian relay team.
And his ambition might be very close to coming true.
His record race in Ottawa qualifies him for competitions with Team Canada. Athletics Canada has already sent him an application to be part of the Canadian Paraympics Committee, and invited him to their training camp in Windsor in July.
Ball recently celebrated two decades of working at the TTC. The TTC and local 113 are supporting and cheering for Ball if he attempts to break the three-hour mark at the Good Fitness Toronto Marathon mid October.
From under photo: Rick Ball, right, jokes that when he was young he used to run from his big brother Dale, left. Dale is a Foreperson in Plant Maintainance and the motivating factor behind Rick's Achievements
he is indeed an inspiration. he did not let his disability stand in the way, but rather use it to attain his goal.
ReplyDeletesuch a wonderful fellow, and he is a freind of yours!!! i won't wonder anymore. hahhaha!
WOW Sid!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't run like that when I was in my prime of health (not sure if I had one). I don't think I've heard of the Paralympics. Do you know him?
Yes Ray I know Rick quite well. I met him when he transfered to the line from the carhouse. I had to train him. The line is kind of unique in that you work on the trains while they are still carrying passengers. One of the first things you need to teach a mechanic coming from inside is that the drivers don't speak the same language. For example to a mechanic a reverser is a large copper and wood device under the train weighing several hundred pounds that when it changes position controls which direction the electricity flows through the motors thus which way the train moves. To a driver it is a key about the size of a 4 inch cresent wrench.
ReplyDeleteAlso since the mechanic is the 1st person called when a train stops moving for any reason you can end up walking onto a train that has stopped because of a heart attack, a nut waving a knife even an air leak in the drivers seat that has caused the air to braking system to drain. It takes a special mindset to do the job and few are good at it. Rick is one of the best ever.
There is another article about him further down the page from when he began to compete.