Sunday, July 25, 2010

Little Pieces of History

When a person walks around Vancouver they will see these little plaques attached to poles and such. Written on these are memories and factual accountings of events in Vancouver's history. This one tells about another, less known incident at the British Empire Games in 1954.

You may remember a few posts back I wrote about John Landy and Roger Bannister breaking the four minute mile at those games. That moment made history but this person remembers a less known fact about those games.

A man, Jim Peters, who ran the marathon that day. When the exhausted Peters entered the stadium he was careening from side to side and sank to the ground a few times as he struggled to make it to the finishing line. Finally he collapsed into the arms of his teammates and was taken away in an ambulance. There was a problem though. The finish line was actually a hundred yards farther on and Peters was disqualified.

How sad. This man showed what true determination is all about by pushing his body to the limits so that he could finish what he started. He left the arena that day thinking he had finished the race. I wonder how he felt when he was informed that he hadn't completed his goal.

These plaques supply visitors and residents alike with a glimpse into the history that has formed Vancouver and of the people who are responsible for creating memories. I enjoy reading them so that I can learn more.

Here's to finding the beauty around you.

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