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Well, it has happened again: Another fine newspaper article. This time in the Evening Herald (Dublin, Ireland) - (Thurs Nov 8,01) Byline Linde Naughton
Enjoy,
Bill "Stretch" Coleman
STILTWALKER'S NEW RECORD <ep>
One man hard to ignore at the adidas Dublin Marathon was Bill "Stretch"
Coleman.<EP>
He was the guy on stilts, a 48 year old window cleaner and clown from
Denver, Colorado, who believes in "walking tall and stretching
imaginations". <EP>
This was Bill's second trip to Dublin, and the good news is that he did
finish before dark. Indeed his time of 8 hrs 53 mins was one and a half
hours faster than in 1999. <EP>
It also meant he raised $5,878.20 for the Arthritis Foundation Joints in
Motion charity, putting him third on their list and earning him a special
crystal glass award. <EP>
For the race, he had dressed carefully. "I wore my ostrich plumed top hat
and yellow and red striped clown shirt accessorized with green gloves and a
bright pink feather duster".<EP>
Once started, the weather was a factor. "A strong head wind forced me to go
faster to maintain any kind of momentum. The cross wind was the worst,
bringing me to a halt two or three times, and forcing me to crab walk, or
walk sideways to keep my bearings."<EP>
Bill reached halfway in 3:19.54, by which time the race winners would have
already had their showers and a cup of tea. He then slowed down
drastically.
"By the seventeenth mile, my feet were heavily blistered. By the nineteenth
mile, the blisters had torn open and my feet were raw and shredded."<EP>
At that point, Bill was forced to stop and get his feet taped. "Although it
took 40 minutes to locate tape and apply it, it allowed me to continue.
Jerry, my partner, met me at the 20 mile mark and walked with me to the
finish. Good thing too - for parts of the last mile and a half, I took
Jerry's hand
to stay upright!"<EP>
Amazingly, there were still 26 people out on the course when Bill finished
-
and they weren't on stilts.<EP>
Apart from losing his hat, he had less adventures this time. "I didn't get
lost at all, let alone twice! And I never did find that kid that tried to
pull my pants down."<EP>
His only regret was that while in Dublin, he never got to see the circus.
<EP>
Maybe next time <EP>
* See pictures of Bill's Dublin adventure at Stiltwalker.com. <EP>
------------------
Walking tall and stretching imaginations!
Bill 'Stretch' Coleman
Enjoy,
Bill "Stretch" Coleman
STILTWALKER'S NEW RECORD <ep>
One man hard to ignore at the adidas Dublin Marathon was Bill "Stretch"
Coleman.<EP>
He was the guy on stilts, a 48 year old window cleaner and clown from
Denver, Colorado, who believes in "walking tall and stretching
imaginations". <EP>
This was Bill's second trip to Dublin, and the good news is that he did
finish before dark. Indeed his time of 8 hrs 53 mins was one and a half
hours faster than in 1999. <EP>
It also meant he raised $5,878.20 for the Arthritis Foundation Joints in
Motion charity, putting him third on their list and earning him a special
crystal glass award. <EP>
For the race, he had dressed carefully. "I wore my ostrich plumed top hat
and yellow and red striped clown shirt accessorized with green gloves and a
bright pink feather duster".<EP>
Once started, the weather was a factor. "A strong head wind forced me to go
faster to maintain any kind of momentum. The cross wind was the worst,
bringing me to a halt two or three times, and forcing me to crab walk, or
walk sideways to keep my bearings."<EP>
Bill reached halfway in 3:19.54, by which time the race winners would have
already had their showers and a cup of tea. He then slowed down
drastically.
"By the seventeenth mile, my feet were heavily blistered. By the nineteenth
mile, the blisters had torn open and my feet were raw and shredded."<EP>
At that point, Bill was forced to stop and get his feet taped. "Although it
took 40 minutes to locate tape and apply it, it allowed me to continue.
Jerry, my partner, met me at the 20 mile mark and walked with me to the
finish. Good thing too - for parts of the last mile and a half, I took
Jerry's hand
to stay upright!"<EP>
Amazingly, there were still 26 people out on the course when Bill finished
-
and they weren't on stilts.<EP>
Apart from losing his hat, he had less adventures this time. "I didn't get
lost at all, let alone twice! And I never did find that kid that tried to
pull my pants down."<EP>
His only regret was that while in Dublin, he never got to see the circus.
<EP>
Maybe next time <EP>
* See pictures of Bill's Dublin adventure at Stiltwalker.com. <EP>
------------------
Walking tall and stretching imaginations!
Bill 'Stretch' Coleman
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