Did you know?

   This isn't my usual type of post but the Olympics has kind of got under my skin. So here's a blast from the past
   Before Tommie Smith and John Carlos made their human rights protest at the 68 Mexico Olympics they told Peter Norman ( the Australian silver medalist) of their plan. He supported their actions. Carlos said he thought he'ed see "fear" in Normans eyes but he said he didn't, he saw "love" Along with Smith and Carlos he also wore an "Olympic Project for Human Rights" badge, which he took from Paul Hoffman, another American athlete, on the walk out to the medal ceremony  .
   Although Norman didn't really play a part in the protest, he came in for a lot of grief when he got back home to Australia. He never ran again for his country despite running the qualifying times for the 72 Olympics. His silver medal winning time in the 200 metres of 20.06 is still being the best time ever run by an Australian over that distance to this day.
   Things didn't get much better for Peter Norman with time either. After a bad injury in 1985 he contracted gangrene. Depression, heavy drinking and pain killer addiction followed.
   The Australian organizing committee over looked Norman in playing any part in the Sydney Olympics of 2000. However when the Americans found out they invited him to be part of their event at Sydney.
   When he died from a heart attack at the age of 64 in 2006 the American track and field Federation. named the 9th October as "Peter Norman Day". Both Tommie Smith and John Carlos were pallbears at his funeral.
   Peter Norman didn't go looking for notoriety. He did however have a strong belief in God and in fairness for all. Unfortunately he seems to have paid a heavy price for not ignoring the plight of others. Hats off to you Peter Norman you were something really special.

   Onwards and upwards in the pursuit of fulfillment and happyness :-)