“The Tragic Rise of Zola Budd” by Rob Leachman From the “Great Rivalries of Olympic Track and Field” Series While eight-year-old Mary Decker was going to school and playing with her friends in New Jersey, Hendrina Wilhelmina “Tossie” De Swardt was giving birth to her sixth child. But things at Bloemfontein Hospital in South Africa … Read more
“Little Mary Decker” by Rob Leachman From the “Great Rivalries of Olympic Track and Field” Series Some rivalries are made for the media, storylines of perpetual quests for Olympic glory, or battles of perceived good versus evil serving to drive up ratings and circulation. In the case of Mary Decker’s tragic encounter with Zola Budd … Read more
by Rob Leachman Eastern Caribbean March 1 – 8, 2020 “What the hell were you doing on a cruise ship last March 8th?” No one actually said these words to me, in large part because after the first week of March 2020, we largely ceased having face-to-face conversations with anyone but family. I suspect some … Read more
by Rob Leachman From the “Leading a Goal-Driven Life” Series –Part I– Years ago, a colleague was describing his affinity for carefree, direction-free, and largely destination-free travel. As this highly educated and otherwise very organized individual explained, he and his wife enjoyed simply hopping in their vehicle and driving, stopping to take in whatever sights … Read more
August 5 – 9, 2013 by Rob Leachman I didn’t mean to offend this nice lady who with her husband had stopped to offer assistance after my dog-induced crash, just three miles from the end of the 238-mile trail. But as I laid on the grass looking upward, still dazed, a little bit in shock, … Read more
Great Rivalries in Olympic Track and Field Series Every four years the greatest track and field athletes in the world converge on the highest, most pressure-packed stage in sport in the Olympic Games. Given the relative infrequency of these quadrennial competitions, even the greatest of these athletes typically have available to them one or maybe … Read more
As a means of introducing you to this website and the work that it is promoting, I want to share with you more than you would ever want to know about my work and personal life. The tagline of the website describes me as an “Author, Educator, and Occasional Adventurer.” While all of that may … Read more
