2007 Male Performance Award – George DeWitt

My grandfather worked as a farmer when he was a boy, and he used to tell me how he had toughened himself up so he could stand the rigors of farming life. He said he would stand outside behind the house and, with a 5 pound potato sack in each hand, extend his arms straight out to his sides and hold them there as long as he could.
After a while he tried 10 pound potato sacks, then 20 pound potato sacks and finally he got to where he could lift a 50 pound potato sack in each hand and hold his arms straight out for five full minutes! ...He said eventually, he even started putting potatoes in the sacks. To win the performance award you must be tough…maybe even tougher than my grandfather.

A writer named Anthony Bailey once said, "Man imposes his own limitations, so don't set any." This defines this year’s award winner…no limitations!

The performance awards, at least to me, define us as a running club. They are, after all, based on running performance. So what are we to do if a person performs well year after year? Are we to ignore his abilities until some specific amount of time has passed before we honor his accomplishments once again? I say “No.” I say the performance award is about performance. One of my favorite authors, William Faulkner once said, “Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”

For those of you who know our winner, you will agree with his quiet, unassuming ways. He simply performs at an extremely high level while maintaining his humble and dignified manner. He thinks often of everyone else…last year he asked about opting out of the Grand-Prix not wanting people to think he was a “glory hound” or “trophy chaser”. He used terms like “not wanting to discourage others” and “I just like to run.” I assured him of my admiration, our admiration and informed him I would be very disappointed, yes even discouraged, if I knew he was not there. Quite simply he motivates me to a higher level.

The famous football coach Lou Holtz said, “Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. And Attitude determines how well you do it.” George DeWitt has all three! Ability – how about running within 7 seconds of a lifetime PR at the ½ marathon at the age of 49! Motivation – no one can deny his love of running! Attitude – one has to simply talk to George once to know his warm, unassuming manner.

But this is a running performance award and as someone once said, “Running is relatively simple…but it ain't easy.” In his short tenure here in Huntsville, he has set 13 state records including his tremendous 52:09 at the 15K, a 2:38 at the 2006 Rocket City Marathon, and recently a 1:13 at the Rocket City Half-marathon placing 2^nd overall! I am proud to call George DeWitt one of our own…one of our best… I proudly present the 2007 Male Performance Award to very deserving George DeWitt.