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Frankie's in running with sprint
FRANKIE doesnae go to Hollywood. He goes to Musselburgh races on Saturday, steadfastly perpetuating the Powderhall New Year Sprint, first run 130 years ago at Powderhall Stadium, now buried under housing. Frankie Hanlon again is promoting the pedestrian event in tandem with the horseracing on the seaside course. Not an ideal set-up but by this time next year he hopes Musselburgh will have an all-weather track, bad for Jack Frost but the very dab for his sprinters. .
Time running out for holiday shopping
Hasan Morales of Stroudsburg said he can't really find the gifts that he is searching for in these last few days of shopping: Dora the Explorer, Elmo and Spiderman toys for his nephew.
Judy Rogers of Tamiment is searching for a Playstation Portable for her son Randy but had trouble finding it at the Wal-Mart in East Stroudsburg.
Becky Knecht of Jonas started shopping on Black Friday, but because of setbacks, just finished yesterday.
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Marathoner was running for her life
Yet look at Christina Oswalt now. Running 20-plus miles at least twice a week and lifting weights in a gym built for elite athletes to train for her 11th marathon. Oswalt, 41, will run in the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon and Marathon on Jan. 14.
"I had no idea I was competitive," Oswalt said.
This from a Mesa mother of four who had never picked up a dumbbell in her life, had never perspired from exercise, had never played a sport.
Her story is much more than just her out-of-nowhere athletic abilities. Her story is about perseverance and hope. Oswalt began running to save her life. And now she is running to save others.
"For me, I fee like I'm running for every underdog," Oswalt said. "Everybody who thought they couldn't do something, every child who can't speak for themselves.
Foster is losing fight for fitness
AFC Telford United's leading scorer Steve Foster is struggling with a back injury that looks set to rule him out of tomorrow's trip to Grantham Town. Foster, pictured, has 15 goals to his name in all competitions this season, and his absence would be a huge blow to the Bucks as they look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season. Telford lost 3-1 at home to Whitby last weekend to bring to an end an unbeaten UniBond League run stretching back 38 games. Boss Rob Smith believes that defeat has actually eased the pressure on his players, but admits Foster's absence would be a disappointment. "Steve has a back injury and he looks very unlikely to play," the Bucks chief confirmed. "He picked it up on Saturday and he was unable to train on Tuesday and was still sore last night so I'd say he's very doubtful at this stage.
Heroic couple save teenager
By AVUYILE MNGXITAMA,
YONWABA JOYI and
LUYANDA MAKAPELA AN EAST London couple yesterday emerged as heroes after pulling a drowning teenager from the swirling waters of the Nahoon River and resuscitating him. The teenagers 15-year-old brother, identified as Inga Mnyamane, from Mdantsane, died during the hour-long drama on Monday afternoon when a fun outing turned into a horror ordeal. Ingas 13-year-old brother, Ndihlangule (ironically, it means save me), was plucked from the water and resuscitated. Patrick Gee yesterday told how he and his wife Debbie were taking a casual stroll near the Nahoon River mouth when they stumbled onto the life-and-death situation. Because I stay very close to the beach, I was walking with my wife when we heard somebody shouting in the waves, he told the Daily Dispatch.
You shouldn't have, really
For Denise Andrew, Christmas shopping in the 21st century is so much easier. This year, she bought half her gifts online, aided by her oldest daughter who e-mailed her a wish list complete with a link to a website featuring a pre-selected pair of earrings. Ms. Andrew told her husband she'd like an iPod to use when she's on the treadmill. He, in turn, gave her a list of equipment he wants for his sound system. Her son — her three children are in their 20s — fancies speakers for his iPod and her youngest daughter asked for a Betsey Johnson watch. "Gifts before were something you wanted to give. Now they're sort of more like you ask a person [what they want] and you get it for them," said Ms. Andrew, an elementary school principal in Chilliwack, B.C. Indeed, modern gift giving has been transformed with the rise in adult wish lists (no longer just for children's letters to Santa), gift certificates and online shopping.
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