84-Year-Old to Race AuSable Marathon
24 Jul
We were inspired by THIS Detroit News story about 84-year-old canoe racer Al Widing.
Tomorrow, Widing will compete in Michigan’s grueling, 120-mile Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon. The retired builder has competed in 37 AuSable Marathons, paddling his first one in 1953.
Reporter Tim Twentyman learned that Widing, who was a gunner on the USS Aaron Ward in World War II, has survived kamikaze attacks, a three story fall during a construction project, and a literally heart-stopping spare tire explosion — Widing was revived by CPR — in his long life.
So, perhaps an all-night, 120-mile canoe race against people one-third his age isn’t that big a deal to Widing.
