By TIM DEVANEY Staff Writer
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
After battling through 16 nonstop hours of waves last summer, Pat Gallant-Charette finally saw land.
The 58-year-old Westbrook resident was less than two miles from becoming the oldest American woman to swim across the English Channel.
A short time later, the swim was called off because of a riptide that kept her essentially swimming in place for four hours. That left the Mainer with a bitter taste in her mouth.
This week she intends to wash that away with 20-plus miles of saltwater by completing the swim from Dover, England, to Calais, France. She hopes to begin the swim by Thursday, but so far, stormy weather has kept her out of the water.
''It's heartbreaking because you have just a one-time shot to get across, '' she said Tuesday in a cell phone interview from Dover. ''I'm keeping my fingers crossed.''
Gallant-Charette started swimming competitively as a tribute to her late brother, Robbie Gallant, who died from heart problems in 1997, when he was just 34. He loved swimming, and after her son, Tom Charette, came up with the idea to swim in Robbie's memory, Gallant-Charette took over.
''I was so touched by that - that he wanted to do this as a tribute - I said, 'I wish I could do the same, ' and my son said, 'Ma, you could if you tried, ' '' she said.
Tom Charette described his mother as a determined woman.
''It's been a fun experience watching her do her training and the preparation to take on a task like this, '' he said. ''Not a whole lot of people can say, 'I can swim across the English Channel, ' especially at her age.''
A registered nurse who has grandchildren, Gallant-Charette has become an icon at the Casco Bay YMCA in Freeport, where she trains.
''People just want to hear her story and are inspired just to swim a mile, '' said YMCA Aquatics Coordinator Dana Buckoski.
Gallant-Charette even outshines the lifeguards, swimming for up to six hours without stopping. Buckoski said YMCA lifeguards usually swim 500 yards once a week.
When Gallant-Charette began training at the YMCA, ''We were like, 'What are you doing here?
Why are you swimming so long?''' Buckoski said. ''I haven't seen anyone else do training like that. So that's what caught our eye.''
In the English Channel, swimmers are given a limited slot of time to make their attempt, and many times weather conditions delay, or even prevent, the feat. With a long list of swimmers hoping to cross, the English Channel Association, which manages the crossings, cannot afford to extend swimmers' slot times, regardless of conditions.
Gallant-Charette's slot time expires Thursday, so she is hoping the weather will cooperate.
Her eagerness to swim is heightened by the frustration she felt last year after swimming nearly the entire channel, only to be denied the French shore by the riptide.
''I climbed up the ladder to the boat on my own and I swore like a pirate, because I was very upset, '' she recalled. ''And I felt strong. ... I felt as though I could have made it easily to France.''
She has been training four to six hours a day, three days a week, to prepare for her attempt this week.
''The English Channel is the toughest swim in the world, '' she said. ''And I know the reality of the channel: You can be as prepared as you want, but if the channel doesn't want you to make it to France, you won't make it to France.''
Once she begins, she cannot take a break by grabbing onto the boat that accompanies her or she will be disqualified. Gallant-Charette said she takes ''gulp-and-go's'' every hour, stopping for 30 seconds to take a drink that a crew member extends to her on a pole.
''I haven't hit the wall yet in swimming, '' Gallant-Charette said. ''Right now I can swim 18 hours and still feel strong.''
That wasn't the case when Gallant-Charette began swimming seriously after her brother's death. She doubted whether she could complete two laps in the pool.
''I started just practicing a little bit and I could see that my endurance was building up, '' she said. ''I found that each year I was swimming, I was getting stronger, and I said to my family, 'I think I could go further.'''
Her son said she is considering swimming a double-crossing (England to France and back) in the future, and she hopes to break the world record for being the oldest woman to cross the channel once she turns 62.
Many stories about Gallant-Charette's fearlessness circulate at the YMCA. She has been stung by jellyfish and bitten by fish, but she is determined. Buckoski recalled her saying, ''I'm not going to let a shark stop me.''
Gallant-Charette hopes her story will inspire people to pursue their goals wholeheartedly.
''I hope people look at it and realize whatever there is in life to just try it, '' she said.
Staff Writer Tim Devaney can be contacted at 791-6367 or at: tdevaney@pressherald.com
This story was originall published in The Portland Press Herald on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Pastor says Obama 'doesn’t represent the more conservative views of African-Americans'
GRAND RAPIDS -- Election returns show that 95 percent of African-Americans cast their presidential ballots for Barack Obama – but Rev. Stacey Foster wasn’t one of them.
Foster said he’s conflicted. He is proud Americans elected their first black president, but he disagrees with many of Obama’s beliefs.
“A lot of people voted in their pocket book, I voted in my conscience,” Foster told several hundred students at Cornerstone University’s chapel the morning of the inauguration.
Foster voted for Sen. John McCain, calling him the “less of two evils,” and placing himself among the four percent of African-Americans who voted for the Republican.
“I’m excited about (Obama) being an African-American, but I would have preferred if it were a black man that he would have been more conservative,” Foster said.
He believes Obama’s views on abortion and homosexuality are contrary to biblical teaching.
“The Kingdom says God hates those who shed innocent blood, and homosexuality is an abomination to God,” Foster said.
Yet he is thrilled to witness the first African-American president, saying, “We moved from the outhouse to the White House,” and “instead of an African-American holding the Bible that the president would place his hand on when he took the Oath of Office, instead it was a white man holding it for an African-American.”
As he gazed at the inauguration ceremonies there were moments when he clapped with a sense of accomplishment and others when he shook his head in disappointment.
Foster admitted it took a lot of courage for him as an African-American to point out Obama’s negatives publicly, let alone say he wasn’t voting for him. But he couldn’t shake the conflicted feeling that his first duty is not to his nation or race, but to God.
“If there’s a conflict with my views and God’s views, God’s views should win out,” Foster said. “My view is he’s too gray on his views of abortion and homosexuality and doesn’t represent the more conservative views of African-Americans…Our political views are more democratic, but our religious views are more conservative.”
With Obama’s four-year term just beginning, Foster’s conflicting passions will duke it out for a while. He couldn’t be happier at the steps America is taking toward diversity. But his faith is like a rock, and it won’t be moved.
Foster said he’s conflicted. He is proud Americans elected their first black president, but he disagrees with many of Obama’s beliefs.
“A lot of people voted in their pocket book, I voted in my conscience,” Foster told several hundred students at Cornerstone University’s chapel the morning of the inauguration.
Foster voted for Sen. John McCain, calling him the “less of two evils,” and placing himself among the four percent of African-Americans who voted for the Republican.
“I’m excited about (Obama) being an African-American, but I would have preferred if it were a black man that he would have been more conservative,” Foster said.
He believes Obama’s views on abortion and homosexuality are contrary to biblical teaching.
“The Kingdom says God hates those who shed innocent blood, and homosexuality is an abomination to God,” Foster said.
Yet he is thrilled to witness the first African-American president, saying, “We moved from the outhouse to the White House,” and “instead of an African-American holding the Bible that the president would place his hand on when he took the Oath of Office, instead it was a white man holding it for an African-American.”
As he gazed at the inauguration ceremonies there were moments when he clapped with a sense of accomplishment and others when he shook his head in disappointment.
Foster admitted it took a lot of courage for him as an African-American to point out Obama’s negatives publicly, let alone say he wasn’t voting for him. But he couldn’t shake the conflicted feeling that his first duty is not to his nation or race, but to God.
“If there’s a conflict with my views and God’s views, God’s views should win out,” Foster said. “My view is he’s too gray on his views of abortion and homosexuality and doesn’t represent the more conservative views of African-Americans…Our political views are more democratic, but our religious views are more conservative.”
With Obama’s four-year term just beginning, Foster’s conflicting passions will duke it out for a while. He couldn’t be happier at the steps America is taking toward diversity. But his faith is like a rock, and it won’t be moved.
Vern Ehlers: America’s 75-year old science mastermind and Playboy star
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 8, 2009 — Vernon Ehlers brings something to Congress few others can offer: Scientific intellect…And a spot in Playboy.
The 75-year old nuclear physicist made national headlines when Playboy ran a story and photo of him during his campaign several years ago.
But when he’s not starring in Playboy, he’s the scientific brains of Congress.
“Oh, it’s extremely helpful, because there are so few scientists,” Ehlers said. “My colleagues are constantly asking me questions about scientific issues.”
He was the first research physicist to be elected to Congress, and has served on the Science and Technology Committee ever since. And he’s tackled numerous issues, such as helping Congress decide, “Should we try to go to Mars?”
“We certainly could use more scientists in Congress,” Ehlers said. “There are quite a few scientific issues and very few scientists in Congress.”
There are even fewer Congressmen in Playboy. But that didn’t stop the controversial magazine from picking up a Grand Rapids Press story about him.
During a recent campaign, his opponent, Attorney Jim Rinck, developed an unusual statement that eventually got back to the magazine.
“I got him in Playboy,” Rinck said. “When I ran against Vern I announced and said he was the smartest man in the district. It was such an unusual statement it hit the wires and Keith Olbermann from MSNBC picked up on it. I don’t think anyone has ever ran for office and declared his opponent was the smartest man in the district. Eventually, Playboy picked up on it that I was running against the smartest man in the district. Kind of worth the price of admission if you know what I mean?”
Dave Murray, who originally reported on the story for the Grand Rapids Press, wrote a second story about Playboy’s coverage of the situation. Murray said the Playboy story was a short mention about Ehlers and was in the “newsy portion of the magazine.”
Ehlers laughed about the situation afterwards.
"I guess I'm a surprised that they didn't ask me to be Playmate of the Month," Ehlers told Murray. "But then I suppose their circulation would take a beating. I'm not too worried about it. I'm sure none of my constituents are subscribers."
Ehlers told Murray he’s not a subscriber either.
“I never knew how much I valued my integrity and my ethics till I got into politics,” Ehlers told The Herald’s Katherine Wisen when he visited Cornerstone University to speak on Feb. 20. “It’s really important to me to defend my reputation.”
Ehlers said his whole life revolves around his faith.
“I don’t think being a Christian in Congress is any different than being a Christian teacher or a Christian (lawyer),” he said. “Being a Christian affects your thinking and ideas and beliefs and every area of your life if you’re truly a Christian. So it’s not only about my Christianity affecting my science, but my Christianity affecting all parts of my life.”
And with his faith leading the way, Ehlers battled through the potentially embarrassing Playboy incident and continues to guide scientific efforts for Congress.
Two Bullets To The Head Couldn't Kill Him
Kneeling down with a gun pressed to the back of his head, the next sound Dan Otterson expected to hear was boom!
He should’ve died. A hit man broke into his apartment and pulled the trigger – twice.
“It happened so quick,” Otterson said. “He was right behind door when I walked in. I thought, ‘This is it. This is how I’m going to die. This is how I’m going to end up.'"
Otterson, a Southern Illinois University student, was selling drugs, and when his boss realized Otterson was ripping him off he sent someone to kill him.
He still remembers the hit man’s words: ‘I know who you are, and I was sent here to kill you.’
“The words are clear as crystal and I can still hear them today,” Otterson recalled. “The only thing on my brain was that gun, and that was it.”
Two shots to the head would kill most people. But God had other plans, Otterson said.
“The gun jammed on him,” he said. “Nothing came out of the gun. When it just clicked, he was as surprised as I was."
“That’s when I just barreled right through him and ran out the door,” he added. “Realizing I had a split-second opportunity to get out of it and run from him was almost like winning the lottery. You have an adrenaline rush like no other. I didn’t even feel myself just nail him.”
For Otterson, a Christian rapper known as Young Saint, the murder attempt was a life-changing experience. Afterwards, he took some time off to piece his life back together.
“You think you can’t be touched, and then all the sudden something like that happens,” he said. “All the short-term [drug dealing] doesn’t pay off in the long run. I need to be doing things differently.”
“I started building relationships with my family,” he said. “My whole life had revolved around myself. [The murder attempt] has shown me I really need to be there for other people as much as I can.”
Eventually, Otterson started rapping again, but this time for God.
“Initially, I was rapping about everything else everybody was already talking about – cars, girls, jewelry. I started thinking, ‘What am I doing this for?’ Some artists are glorifying a lifestyle that they have never lived. The record labels make it up for them. They never lived one day being broke or living in the ‘hood.’
“For me, glorifying a lifestyle that almost got me killed was pointless and stupid. I knew I needed to look at what I was writing and put a different twist on it for sure.”
That new twist isn’t exactly found within the traditions of religious music, which has become a struggle for Otterson, who is on fire for God and wants to spread the truth.
“In Christian music so many guys talk about glorifying God, and nobody ever says, ‘I’ve been where you’ve been,’” he said. “In Christian music people are too afraid to say they’ve screwed up. So there’s a chance for me to reach them and tell them that God can reach them, and no matter what they’ve gone through and done they’re not beyond God’s help.”
Otterson said in some ways he is disappointed with the church.
“If you don’t follow that social norm, church people look at you differently and I’m sick of that, personally,” he said. “Those non-conformers are people who can turn around and reach more people if given the opportunity.”
With his new album, "Under Construction," Otterson hopes to pave a new path and “break up the social norm of what people think about church and who Christians really are.”
“'Under Construction' talks about my transition from where I was to where I am now,” he said. “I wanted to shine the light on a lot of things in church that a lot of people don’t want to talk about, such as people being hypocritical and judgmental. People use church for a lot of reasons, but they don’t use it to go and talk to God. I wanted to be controversial. That was really my goal. It’s about going to build a relationship with God and grow in our faith.”
With Otterson, the lyrics are much more powerful than the beats. “Fake Church,” “Altar Poppin’” and “Individualistic” are three of his favorite songs that he hopes will spark change in churches across America.
He knows how important second chances are, and now that he’s received his he’s hoping to help others find their own second chances in Jesus Christ.
He should’ve died. A hit man broke into his apartment and pulled the trigger – twice.
“It happened so quick,” Otterson said. “He was right behind door when I walked in. I thought, ‘This is it. This is how I’m going to die. This is how I’m going to end up.'"
Otterson, a Southern Illinois University student, was selling drugs, and when his boss realized Otterson was ripping him off he sent someone to kill him.
He still remembers the hit man’s words: ‘I know who you are, and I was sent here to kill you.’
“The words are clear as crystal and I can still hear them today,” Otterson recalled. “The only thing on my brain was that gun, and that was it.”
Two shots to the head would kill most people. But God had other plans, Otterson said.
“The gun jammed on him,” he said. “Nothing came out of the gun. When it just clicked, he was as surprised as I was."
“That’s when I just barreled right through him and ran out the door,” he added. “Realizing I had a split-second opportunity to get out of it and run from him was almost like winning the lottery. You have an adrenaline rush like no other. I didn’t even feel myself just nail him.”
For Otterson, a Christian rapper known as Young Saint, the murder attempt was a life-changing experience. Afterwards, he took some time off to piece his life back together.
“You think you can’t be touched, and then all the sudden something like that happens,” he said. “All the short-term [drug dealing] doesn’t pay off in the long run. I need to be doing things differently.”
“I started building relationships with my family,” he said. “My whole life had revolved around myself. [The murder attempt] has shown me I really need to be there for other people as much as I can.”
Eventually, Otterson started rapping again, but this time for God.
“Initially, I was rapping about everything else everybody was already talking about – cars, girls, jewelry. I started thinking, ‘What am I doing this for?’ Some artists are glorifying a lifestyle that they have never lived. The record labels make it up for them. They never lived one day being broke or living in the ‘hood.’
“For me, glorifying a lifestyle that almost got me killed was pointless and stupid. I knew I needed to look at what I was writing and put a different twist on it for sure.”
That new twist isn’t exactly found within the traditions of religious music, which has become a struggle for Otterson, who is on fire for God and wants to spread the truth.
“In Christian music so many guys talk about glorifying God, and nobody ever says, ‘I’ve been where you’ve been,’” he said. “In Christian music people are too afraid to say they’ve screwed up. So there’s a chance for me to reach them and tell them that God can reach them, and no matter what they’ve gone through and done they’re not beyond God’s help.”
Otterson said in some ways he is disappointed with the church.
“If you don’t follow that social norm, church people look at you differently and I’m sick of that, personally,” he said. “Those non-conformers are people who can turn around and reach more people if given the opportunity.”
With his new album, "Under Construction," Otterson hopes to pave a new path and “break up the social norm of what people think about church and who Christians really are.”
“'Under Construction' talks about my transition from where I was to where I am now,” he said. “I wanted to shine the light on a lot of things in church that a lot of people don’t want to talk about, such as people being hypocritical and judgmental. People use church for a lot of reasons, but they don’t use it to go and talk to God. I wanted to be controversial. That was really my goal. It’s about going to build a relationship with God and grow in our faith.”
With Otterson, the lyrics are much more powerful than the beats. “Fake Church,” “Altar Poppin’” and “Individualistic” are three of his favorite songs that he hopes will spark change in churches across America.
He knows how important second chances are, and now that he’s received his he’s hoping to help others find their own second chances in Jesus Christ.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Need a side bump?
BY TIM DEVANEY
Your Sports editor
He’s not the superstar of the basketball team - or even on the roster.
But Kyle Cohen takes his role — all 15 seconds of it — just as seriously as any member of the team. And without him, team captain Matt Kingshott would be lost.
Cohen is his personal one-man-warm-up-squad.
Before each home game, he’s the fan who runs out from the student section to shoulder-bump Kingshott in mid-air as part of a pregame introduction routine for the Golden Eagles’ leading scorer and rebounder.
As the starters are introduced, Cohen shakes the jitters out, waiting for Kingshott’s name to be called last. Then he races several steps onto the court and leaps in the air to meet Kingshott near the free throw line three feet above ground level.
“It brings a new level of intensity for me,” Kingshott said. “It gets me ready for the game mentally. This is just another way to get me focused.”
For Cohen, it’s his one moment of glory — his moment of sheer joy and excitement. His 15 seconds of fame. And Cohen, a junior, wouldn’t miss it for anything.
“I was late for work. I was like 15 minutes late,” Cohen said about the recent homecoming game. “I didn’t want to blow off Kingshott, and I thought that would show a sign of … commitment. I don’t want him to get mad before a game, or discouraged.”
Inspired is more like it.
“That’s truly dedicated to the side-bump,” Kingshott said several days after the game when he realized Cohen showed up late for work to squeeze the side-bump into his schedule. “That’s impressive.
“I just see Cohen as a dedicated Cornerstone basketball fan. I think it’s another way for him to get involved in the basketball games. He’s at almost all the games, and he’s always near the front row cheering.”
Cohen spends all day preparing for his moment in the spotlight.
“Yeah, it’s more like I have to focus mentally, you know? And have in my mind what I’m going to do, what it’s going to look like, and make sure I don’t mess anything up.
“I almost did the game before last. My shoes were wet and I slipped on the floor. I seemed to regain my momentum, but it didn’t seem like as good of a shoulder-bump as I wanted it to be.”
He analyzes each shoulder-bump to see how they can improve.
“I noticed that every time we jump, he has his handout and mine are tucked in,” Cohen said. “It would be better if I could work on getting my hands out…”
Like a Golden Eagle soaring?
“Yeah, like that.”
Cohen got the job after the previous side-bumper was late, and he does not want to lose the role.
Cohen said Kingshott used to call the prior bumper, “My boy,” “but now that I’ve been doing it, it kind of raised my level of friendship with him. That’s how Kingshott sees it, anyway.”
And he does.
“Kyle and I are pretty good friends,” Kingshott said. “We get along really well. It’s just a really good friendship that we have, because it’s just really easy going and laidback.”
Every other starter side-bumps with teammate Dennis Jones during the pregame introductions, but at the beginning of the season Kingshott started the relatively new ritual to recognize his fans.
“I just wanted to do something to show that I’m glad that we have fans that come to the games, and I appreciate each one of them,” Kingshott said. “I think the more people you get involved, the more intensity you can bring to the game.”
Ever since, Kingshott has made sure Cohen shows up to each home game.
“I think it’s 50-50 both ways,” Kingshott said. “We both make sure and know that it’s going to happen.”
“If he sees me in person, he’ll ask me,” Cohen said. “But if not, he’ll text me over the phone and say, ‘Yo, shoulder-bump today?’ I’ll say, ‘Yeah, sure.’ If he can’t reach me over the phone, he’ll usually message me on Facebook.”
Cohen said it was “nerve-racking” at first.
“But right before we shoulder-bump, it’s kind of an energy rush,” Cohen said.” It gets me pumped too. It makes me feel special. It makes me feel like I’m kind of part of the team.”
Kingshott agreed.
“Anybody that comes to any of the Cornerstone basketball games and supports us is part of our team,” he said.
This feature was published in The Herald during the spring of 2009.
Your Sports editor
He’s not the superstar of the basketball team - or even on the roster.But Kyle Cohen takes his role — all 15 seconds of it — just as seriously as any member of the team. And without him, team captain Matt Kingshott would be lost.
Cohen is his personal one-man-warm-up-squad.
Before each home game, he’s the fan who runs out from the student section to shoulder-bump Kingshott in mid-air as part of a pregame introduction routine for the Golden Eagles’ leading scorer and rebounder.
As the starters are introduced, Cohen shakes the jitters out, waiting for Kingshott’s name to be called last. Then he races several steps onto the court and leaps in the air to meet Kingshott near the free throw line three feet above ground level.
“It brings a new level of intensity for me,” Kingshott said. “It gets me ready for the game mentally. This is just another way to get me focused.”
For Cohen, it’s his one moment of glory — his moment of sheer joy and excitement. His 15 seconds of fame. And Cohen, a junior, wouldn’t miss it for anything.
“I was late for work. I was like 15 minutes late,” Cohen said about the recent homecoming game. “I didn’t want to blow off Kingshott, and I thought that would show a sign of … commitment. I don’t want him to get mad before a game, or discouraged.”
Inspired is more like it.
“That’s truly dedicated to the side-bump,” Kingshott said several days after the game when he realized Cohen showed up late for work to squeeze the side-bump into his schedule. “That’s impressive.
“I just see Cohen as a dedicated Cornerstone basketball fan. I think it’s another way for him to get involved in the basketball games. He’s at almost all the games, and he’s always near the front row cheering.”
Cohen spends all day preparing for his moment in the spotlight.
“Yeah, it’s more like I have to focus mentally, you know? And have in my mind what I’m going to do, what it’s going to look like, and make sure I don’t mess anything up.
“I almost did the game before last. My shoes were wet and I slipped on the floor. I seemed to regain my momentum, but it didn’t seem like as good of a shoulder-bump as I wanted it to be.”
He analyzes each shoulder-bump to see how they can improve.
“I noticed that every time we jump, he has his handout and mine are tucked in,” Cohen said. “It would be better if I could work on getting my hands out…”
Like a Golden Eagle soaring?
“Yeah, like that.”
Cohen got the job after the previous side-bumper was late, and he does not want to lose the role.
Cohen said Kingshott used to call the prior bumper, “My boy,” “but now that I’ve been doing it, it kind of raised my level of friendship with him. That’s how Kingshott sees it, anyway.”
And he does.
“Kyle and I are pretty good friends,” Kingshott said. “We get along really well. It’s just a really good friendship that we have, because it’s just really easy going and laidback.”
Every other starter side-bumps with teammate Dennis Jones during the pregame introductions, but at the beginning of the season Kingshott started the relatively new ritual to recognize his fans.
“I just wanted to do something to show that I’m glad that we have fans that come to the games, and I appreciate each one of them,” Kingshott said. “I think the more people you get involved, the more intensity you can bring to the game.”
Ever since, Kingshott has made sure Cohen shows up to each home game.
“I think it’s 50-50 both ways,” Kingshott said. “We both make sure and know that it’s going to happen.”
“If he sees me in person, he’ll ask me,” Cohen said. “But if not, he’ll text me over the phone and say, ‘Yo, shoulder-bump today?’ I’ll say, ‘Yeah, sure.’ If he can’t reach me over the phone, he’ll usually message me on Facebook.”
Cohen said it was “nerve-racking” at first.
“But right before we shoulder-bump, it’s kind of an energy rush,” Cohen said.” It gets me pumped too. It makes me feel special. It makes me feel like I’m kind of part of the team.”
Kingshott agreed.
“Anybody that comes to any of the Cornerstone basketball games and supports us is part of our team,” he said.
This feature was published in The Herald during the spring of 2009.
Returning with scars
BY TIM DEVANEY
Your Sports editor
The semi-circle scar on his head only tells half the story.
The part about being sucker punched, knocked out and blindsided. The part about having a stage three concussion. The part about having his jaw wired shut for six weeks and not being able to eat. About missing out on summer vacation…missing out on soccer.
The recovery tells the rest of the story.
One night nearly destroyed Josh Feenstra’s life.
Nearly.
Late Saturday night, May 10, Feenstra went to a party with some friends. The current CU sophomore was just coming off his freshman season with the men’s soccer team. When they arrived, a brawl broke out inside the house and some of his friends went inside to stop it. Feenstra decided to stay outside and wait for his friends to come back.
Unfortunately, the ugliness followed Feenstra outside, unsuspectingly. He was standing on a street corner, a short distance from the house where the party was, trying to distance himself from the situation. Suddenly, someone ran up behind him and punched him in the side of the head. As he fell to the ground his head slammed against the sidewalk, causing internal bleeding.
“Somebody hit him incredibly hard,” soccer coach Mark Bell said. “It’s mindboggling that someone would be so malicious.”
After being rushed to the hospital, doctors said he had a stage three concussion and immediately operated on him to stop the bleeding.
That’s what caused the scar. That and 65 staples holding it shut. Doctors also wired his jaw shut and put two plates and four screws in his chin.
“I don’t really remember any of this,” Feenstra said. “This is just what I’m told. It’s kind of weird. I didn’t see it. I didn’t expect [to be punched] or anything.”
When Bell found out about the situation, he rushed to the hospital.
“My first thought was that he was not going to make it, and if he did make it, he would never be the same,” Bell said. “I’ve seen bad stuff happen, but nothing like this before. At the very best, I didn’t think he would be the same kid.”
Feenstra was in the hospital for six nights before going home for the rest of the summer. Even then, life wasn’t the same. He couldn’t eat or drive, and his parents had to be with him 24/7 in case of an emergency. His summer was ruined.
“The worst thing was that it took away so much of my summer,” Feenstra said. “I couldn’t go tubing or [jet skiing]. I couldn’t play soccer at all. I was just questioning when I would be able to get back to doing stuff I would normally do. Soccer was a big concern. I was concerned about playing soccer, not only this year, but ever again.”
“He was really devastated that he wasn’t going to be able to play soccer [this season],” Bell said. “He’s a solid, solid kid – guys love him. You appreciate having him on the team because of his good character.”
Feenstra has been cleared to play soccer again. He plans to rejoin the team next season, while continuing to serve as the team manager now. But Bell said he’s concerned Feenstra will struggle mentally once he gets back.
“It’s sad because he’ll never get to play the same,” Bell said. “It changes things. He’s always got to be worried about getting a shot to the head.”
“Josh stood up for the right thing,” Bell said. “He suffers the worst consequence, yet through all of this he’s been the one that’s shown the most character.”
Authorities never discovered who hit Feenstra. The accepted story was that an unidentified neighbor ran across the street and punched him. But that’s not what Bell thinks. He’s convinced someone from the party stepped outside and hit Feenstra. Either way nothing was ever proven, and Feenstra is moving on.
“Initially I wanted to know what had happened,” Feenstra said. “I wanted to know who it was [that hit me] right then. But now it’s fine with me that they didn’t find the guy. I’m pretty much over it. It’s not that big of a deal to find the guy for me. I’m just glad that I’m alright.”
“He realizes the situation he’s in and he’s not bitter about it,” Bell said. “Then you come out of it a better person. I appreciate that part of Josh and what he still brings to the team.”
Feenstra may have to live with the scar on his head for the rest of his life, but he’s not going to let it scar his mindset.
“He always has a smile on his face,” Bell said. “To see him go from the hospital bed to where he is now is amazing. The fact that he’s alive and able to recover is quite a blessing. He’s a hard worker and an encourager and it’s great to have him on the team.”
“I love soccer and playing it and being around it, so any time I’m out there with the guys I feel good,” Feenstra said. “That helps a lot. It’s fun. It sucks not being able to play, but staying involved with the team makes it easier.”
This article was published in The Herald during the fall of 2008.
Your Sports editor
The semi-circle scar on his head only tells half the story.The part about being sucker punched, knocked out and blindsided. The part about having a stage three concussion. The part about having his jaw wired shut for six weeks and not being able to eat. About missing out on summer vacation…missing out on soccer.
The recovery tells the rest of the story.
One night nearly destroyed Josh Feenstra’s life.
Nearly.
Late Saturday night, May 10, Feenstra went to a party with some friends. The current CU sophomore was just coming off his freshman season with the men’s soccer team. When they arrived, a brawl broke out inside the house and some of his friends went inside to stop it. Feenstra decided to stay outside and wait for his friends to come back.
Unfortunately, the ugliness followed Feenstra outside, unsuspectingly. He was standing on a street corner, a short distance from the house where the party was, trying to distance himself from the situation. Suddenly, someone ran up behind him and punched him in the side of the head. As he fell to the ground his head slammed against the sidewalk, causing internal bleeding.
“Somebody hit him incredibly hard,” soccer coach Mark Bell said. “It’s mindboggling that someone would be so malicious.”
After being rushed to the hospital, doctors said he had a stage three concussion and immediately operated on him to stop the bleeding.
That’s what caused the scar. That and 65 staples holding it shut. Doctors also wired his jaw shut and put two plates and four screws in his chin.
“I don’t really remember any of this,” Feenstra said. “This is just what I’m told. It’s kind of weird. I didn’t see it. I didn’t expect [to be punched] or anything.”
When Bell found out about the situation, he rushed to the hospital.
“My first thought was that he was not going to make it, and if he did make it, he would never be the same,” Bell said. “I’ve seen bad stuff happen, but nothing like this before. At the very best, I didn’t think he would be the same kid.”
Feenstra was in the hospital for six nights before going home for the rest of the summer. Even then, life wasn’t the same. He couldn’t eat or drive, and his parents had to be with him 24/7 in case of an emergency. His summer was ruined.“The worst thing was that it took away so much of my summer,” Feenstra said. “I couldn’t go tubing or [jet skiing]. I couldn’t play soccer at all. I was just questioning when I would be able to get back to doing stuff I would normally do. Soccer was a big concern. I was concerned about playing soccer, not only this year, but ever again.”
“He was really devastated that he wasn’t going to be able to play soccer [this season],” Bell said. “He’s a solid, solid kid – guys love him. You appreciate having him on the team because of his good character.”
Feenstra has been cleared to play soccer again. He plans to rejoin the team next season, while continuing to serve as the team manager now. But Bell said he’s concerned Feenstra will struggle mentally once he gets back.
“It’s sad because he’ll never get to play the same,” Bell said. “It changes things. He’s always got to be worried about getting a shot to the head.”
“Josh stood up for the right thing,” Bell said. “He suffers the worst consequence, yet through all of this he’s been the one that’s shown the most character.”
Authorities never discovered who hit Feenstra. The accepted story was that an unidentified neighbor ran across the street and punched him. But that’s not what Bell thinks. He’s convinced someone from the party stepped outside and hit Feenstra. Either way nothing was ever proven, and Feenstra is moving on.
“Initially I wanted to know what had happened,” Feenstra said. “I wanted to know who it was [that hit me] right then. But now it’s fine with me that they didn’t find the guy. I’m pretty much over it. It’s not that big of a deal to find the guy for me. I’m just glad that I’m alright.”
“He realizes the situation he’s in and he’s not bitter about it,” Bell said. “Then you come out of it a better person. I appreciate that part of Josh and what he still brings to the team.”
Feenstra may have to live with the scar on his head for the rest of his life, but he’s not going to let it scar his mindset.
“He always has a smile on his face,” Bell said. “To see him go from the hospital bed to where he is now is amazing. The fact that he’s alive and able to recover is quite a blessing. He’s a hard worker and an encourager and it’s great to have him on the team.”
“I love soccer and playing it and being around it, so any time I’m out there with the guys I feel good,” Feenstra said. “That helps a lot. It’s fun. It sucks not being able to play, but staying involved with the team makes it easier.”
This article was published in The Herald during the fall of 2008.
Roark: The champ who missed out
BY TIM DEVANEY
Your Sports editor
Sometimes the best opportunities in life are just one step further. Too bad Lance Roark didn’t take that last step.
It’s been 18 years since Roark joined the men’s basketball program at Cornerstone University. He’s been a Golden Eagle for 17 of them, including this season.
But it’s that one year gap that still haunts him – at least that’s the running joke on the team.
The team won its only NAIA National Championship in 1999, but Roark wasn’t on the team – officially. He took the boys basketball head coaching position at Sparta High School. Not a bad move – just bad timing, considering he missed the only NAIA championship in team history.
“We always tell him to take a year off so we can win another national championship,” head coach Kim “Coach E” Elders said.
“Coach E always brings it up,” Roark said. “Coach E always rags me about it. The guys always tell me if they want to win another championship then I’ve got to quit for another year. That’s the big joke.”
The truth is, if Roark had really taken the 1999 season off, the outcome may have been different. While he wasn’t receiving a paycheck from Cornerstone that season, he was still very much a part of the team.
“I was involved with the team that whole year anyway,” Roark said. “I was still supportive of the team. I was still around all the guys. I would go to games and root them on. So I still felt like I was involved.”
“I’m still a part of Cornerstone basketball,” he added. “That will never change.”
The joke originally caught Roark off guard.
“I didn’t even really think about it [at first],” he said about not officially being a coach. “Coach E’s the one who brought it up to me. [Soon after we won the championship] he said, ‘Yeah, it’s too bad you couldn’t be here the year we won it.’”
But Roark was there – on the sidelines – and they did win it.
“I didn’t feel like that until he said it,” Roark added. “It didn’t even occur to me to think, ‘Oh, you weren’t there.’”
It didn’t occur to the players either.
“He recruited every single person on the team,” said Mark Zichterman, who was the starting center on the team. “To say he didn’t have an influence is ludicrous. He was still a coach to all of us that year even though he wasn’t on the bench. Always a good mentor.”
In fact, Brad Tilma, the starting point guard on the team that season, believes Roark deserves more credit than the NAIA has given him.
“Lance taught us for three years, and on that last year he should have got a ring because of what he did three years previous,” Tilma said. “He taught me the point guard game. I still believe he should get a ring, but whatever.”
Roark doesn’t care. He’s just glad the team won.
“It’s all good,” he said about the team hassling him with jokes. “I’ve busted their chops too about stuff. It goes both ways.
“I was happy to be around those guys, because you watch those kids grow up. You get to see the culmination of those four years.”
Roark said he has better things to worry about than whether he was officially part of the team.
“I appreciate how many teams are out there that don’t even make it to one national tournament, let alone win a national championship,” he said. “I cherish each day of practice and games. We’ve been fortunate to win as many games as we have. That’s unheard of. There’s only a handful of teams that have a record like that [over the last 18 years].”
But what if he could do it over?
“Knowing what I know now, I would have to coach Sparta again,” Roark said. “I have to learn lessons the hard way. Just riding that gravy train to the Promise Land I wouldn’t have learned the lessons I needed to learn to be a coach. If I wouldn’t have stepped back and I wouldn’t have taken my own job, I wouldn’t be as good a coach as I am now for sure.
“It gave me a greater appreciation for what a head coach does, so I feel like I can help Coach E more now because I know what he goes through on a daily basis. So it was a positive for me. I learned a ton during that year.”
And now CU players are learning a ton from Roark – officially – once again. Thanks to Roark the 2008-09 Golden Eagles are poised to make yet another run at a national championship.
“I’m glad Lance came back,” Tilma said. “He has a huge impact on our players.”
This feature was published in The Herald in the spring of 2009.
Your Sports editor
Sometimes the best opportunities in life are just one step further. Too bad Lance Roark didn’t take that last step.
It’s been 18 years since Roark joined the men’s basketball program at Cornerstone University. He’s been a Golden Eagle for 17 of them, including this season.But it’s that one year gap that still haunts him – at least that’s the running joke on the team.
The team won its only NAIA National Championship in 1999, but Roark wasn’t on the team – officially. He took the boys basketball head coaching position at Sparta High School. Not a bad move – just bad timing, considering he missed the only NAIA championship in team history.
“We always tell him to take a year off so we can win another national championship,” head coach Kim “Coach E” Elders said.
“Coach E always brings it up,” Roark said. “Coach E always rags me about it. The guys always tell me if they want to win another championship then I’ve got to quit for another year. That’s the big joke.”
The truth is, if Roark had really taken the 1999 season off, the outcome may have been different. While he wasn’t receiving a paycheck from Cornerstone that season, he was still very much a part of the team.
“I was involved with the team that whole year anyway,” Roark said. “I was still supportive of the team. I was still around all the guys. I would go to games and root them on. So I still felt like I was involved.”
“I’m still a part of Cornerstone basketball,” he added. “That will never change.”
The joke originally caught Roark off guard.
“I didn’t even really think about it [at first],” he said about not officially being a coach. “Coach E’s the one who brought it up to me. [Soon after we won the championship] he said, ‘Yeah, it’s too bad you couldn’t be here the year we won it.’”
But Roark was there – on the sidelines – and they did win it.
“I didn’t feel like that until he said it,” Roark added. “It didn’t even occur to me to think, ‘Oh, you weren’t there.’”
It didn’t occur to the players either.
“He recruited every single person on the team,” said Mark Zichterman, who was the starting center on the team. “To say he didn’t have an influence is ludicrous. He was still a coach to all of us that year even though he wasn’t on the bench. Always a good mentor.”
In fact, Brad Tilma, the starting point guard on the team that season, believes Roark deserves more credit than the NAIA has given him.
“Lance taught us for three years, and on that last year he should have got a ring because of what he did three years previous,” Tilma said. “He taught me the point guard game. I still believe he should get a ring, but whatever.”
Roark doesn’t care. He’s just glad the team won.
“It’s all good,” he said about the team hassling him with jokes. “I’ve busted their chops too about stuff. It goes both ways.
“I was happy to be around those guys, because you watch those kids grow up. You get to see the culmination of those four years.”
Roark said he has better things to worry about than whether he was officially part of the team.
“I appreciate how many teams are out there that don’t even make it to one national tournament, let alone win a national championship,” he said. “I cherish each day of practice and games. We’ve been fortunate to win as many games as we have. That’s unheard of. There’s only a handful of teams that have a record like that [over the last 18 years].”
But what if he could do it over?
“Knowing what I know now, I would have to coach Sparta again,” Roark said. “I have to learn lessons the hard way. Just riding that gravy train to the Promise Land I wouldn’t have learned the lessons I needed to learn to be a coach. If I wouldn’t have stepped back and I wouldn’t have taken my own job, I wouldn’t be as good a coach as I am now for sure.
“It gave me a greater appreciation for what a head coach does, so I feel like I can help Coach E more now because I know what he goes through on a daily basis. So it was a positive for me. I learned a ton during that year.”
And now CU players are learning a ton from Roark – officially – once again. Thanks to Roark the 2008-09 Golden Eagles are poised to make yet another run at a national championship.
“I’m glad Lance came back,” Tilma said. “He has a huge impact on our players.”
This feature was published in The Herald in the spring of 2009.
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