There Are Some Amazing People In Our Country

CBN News featured an article today about Orville Rogers. Orville Rogers runs marathons. That is not particularly unusual until you consider the fact that Orville Rogers is 101 years old.

The video below tells his story:

The article reports:

At 101 years young, Orville Rogers still has a spring in his step and shows no signs of slowing down. the former airline pilot still remembers the day he fell in love with flying. “I was a young boy about ten years old, and (Charles) Lindbergh circled my school house, in 1927, after his transatlantic solo flight,” Orville recalls. “That cemented my desire to be a pilot.”

The article explains why he became a long-distance runner:

He also became a long-distance runner after reading several studies on longevity and exercise.

“Dr. I Min Lee, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, complied a study and her conclusion was that people who exercise very vigorously for long periods of time, could expect to get back in added lifespan, nine hours of added life for every one hour of physical exercise. That is phenomenal.”

Orville not only ran a number of marathons; he holds two world records in the 90-100 age category. “I entered two races in Boston, Massachusetts March 23rd, 2008: the 800 meter and the one-mile run,” Orville says. “And three weeks before the race in March 2008, my wife died. I talked to my children about it and we agreed she’d want me to continue to compete, so I did. And I won the 800 meters, set a new world record. The mile record, I really slaughtered. I ran it in 9:57.”

Two years ago, Orville wrote his life story in his book, The Running Man. “It tells of my experiences in life, my flying, my running, my giving, and my family life and I hope it’s of a benefit and a help to people who may be questioning how they need to serve the Lord better.”

Please follow the link above to read the entire story. Orville Rogers is an amazing man who has led an amazing life.

The Heroes Among Us

Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon is something everyone will remember for a long time. During the aftermath of the explosion, there were ordinary Americans who did extraordinary things. Some were first responders, marathon first aid staff, and others who were there in case of medical emergencies at the finish line, but there was one ordinary American who acted in an extraordinary manner.

Carlos Arrendondo  is the man in the cowboy hat pictured in numerous news stories of the events immediately following the explosion. NBC News posted his story on Tuesday, the day after the Marathon (CAUTION: the picture in the NBC story is graphic). Mr. Arrendondo was at the Marathon to show support for a group running for fallen veterans, one of them his son, who was killed in Iraq in 2004. Since the death of his son, Mr. Arrendondo has become a peace activist.

Jeff Bauman is the man whose life was saved due to the actions of Carlos Arrendondo. Mr. Bauman’s lower leg was blown off by the explosion. The actions of Carlos Arrendondo remind us that there are heroes among us. Mr. Arrendondo is not a perfect person with a perfect past–he is a man who when placed in a horrendous situation which required immediate action was not afraid to take the necessary action. That is the definition of courage.

 

Enhanced by Zemanta