I'm a woman

I'm a woman
Photos copyright Laurence Gouault
No reproduction on other media without the photographer's permission.

Monday 24 January 2011

Marco Olmo, a lovely mutant. By Stevie Haston

MarcoOlmo is a very down to earth Italian man who has worked all his life, he has also won a great many trail races. The most interesting thing about him for most will be that he won the Trail de MontBlanc when he was 59 years old. I had heard about Marco years ago but like most was shocked and stunned when this old geezer won the Big Trail. He rather confirmed what I had always thought about age not being the biggest issue in lots of sports but you do need theories confirmed. He went on to win the Trail a second time and has also a particular ability to win desert races, all good eh. I was reminded of all this the other day when I watched a film about him, if you get the chance watch it. The film is about a man without pretension, a simple man, who had a very boring job driving trucks, and yet he is incredibly special to me. One of his lines in the film, “I may have won a few races but am generally a looser in life”, struck a very resounding cord. The documentary film is sensitive to the point of extreme frankness, it is almost a great film in normal meaning. Apart from being a winner, it is very easy to understand his need to run, his need to be alone, his need for the simplicity of a long distance to traverse to give him some peace in this crazy world. Anyway make a point to catch the film or google his impressive victories, I am sure you will fall in love with him. He is of course an inspiration to older runners and clearly none of us are trying as hard as him. I am 54 this year it gives me 5 years to get good, thank you Marco.
Here the link of the film of Marco Olmo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayvGM6r3pIk
Photo who knows this painter?