Shamrock September 2008_final

The Shamrock The official publication of Saint Patrick’s Athletic Club Issue No. 39

September 2008

Sport Has Made Me Better

Despite being quite young George Vella has a long and varied history in sport. Here he writes on how he started athletics and what has led him to take up triathlon as his favourite sport. Eleven years ago, at the age of 17 years, I used to frequent the Sliema pool and Exiles bay in the summer months. It was around this time that I discovered sports and I was asked to start playing waterpolo with Exiles’ under 18 team.

As we know local waterpolo and swimming is of quite a high standard, so I got used to hard training in the sea, tactics in complicated possession and also persistence for good teamwork with other players. I used to play in different positions and played well against other clubs., Against the big clubs our team used to sit back in defence. It was fine until I got problems during matches. I always ended up being sent off because I continued playing after ignoring referee`s whistle: something that I did because I am deaf. So I decided to call it a day in this sport. In September 1997 I started jogging along the Sliema coastline watching the waterpolo pitches with "nostalgia". During my jogging, my running pace got better and it led me to start running competitively in road running events. I then joined a club where I

used to train more leisurely through winter and did some track sessions twice weekly. Initially, I was doing mostly the 5km and 10km road races but eventually started to specialize in one event, the 800m. It was not easy to specialize on speed works on tracks with spikes shoes, and had to wait patiently until the time came when my performance started to improve. The breakthrough season, for me, was that of 2000/2001 when I was coached with Mr Donato Sabia, an Italian middle distance coach who had the 5th place in the 1984 Olympics Games in the 800m event. I was teamed with some good sprinters and middle-distance athletes and we used to train 3 or 4 times weekly with my sessions consisting of sprints, speed endurances, long intervals, weights

and drills. Training was hard but the effort paid rich dividends. Donato pushed me to a higher level of sub 2 minute barrier in 800m. I took part in the Deaflympics held in Rome in July th 2001 where I placed 12 overall from 40 athletes in 800m event. Here I ran for the first time in 1m59.90s. From this time onwards, the following races were all within same level, improving only by a few seconds since the every second in this event is very hard to beat. Unfortunately Donato had to go back home in Italy and it was a big blow not only for me, but also for other Maltese athletes. ► Continued On Page 4

THE SHAMROCK

Paul Grech’s Editorial People On the Move

The official publication of St. Patrick’s Athletic Club Issue No. 39 – September 2008 Editor: Paul Grech Sub-Editor: Jonathan Balzan Address: St. Helen, Vjal ix-Xarolla, Zurrieq Telephone: 21 640 871 Mobile: 7901 4601 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.stpatricksac.info

I’m sure that most of you have heard about Oscar Pistorious, the athlete with prosthetic legs that has been trying to qualify for the Olympics.

Antoine Attard President

When Pistorious was seventeen months old and his parents were given the option of either letting their son grow with legs that had no bones below the knee or if to amputate them so that he could grow up using prosthetic legs.

Stephen Spiteri Vice President, MAAA Representative & Shamrock Co-ordinator

It was a difficult decision and his parents didn’t know what would happen of him as he grew up. It was at that point that his mother Sheila wrote a letter for her son to read in later years and which said: “a loser is not one who is last in the race, it is one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.”

Joe Zerafa Treasurer

It is a truly inspirational message and one which everyone should take to heart. It is also a message that seems to be taking root locally, through a series of initiatives aimed at getting children into sport. One of these was the Girls on the Move project which included St. Patrick’s AC coach Rose Tabone. “When Valerie gave me a call to see if I was willing to coach on the ‘Girls on the Move’ project it was unexpected but I was happy to do so,” she says of this project. “I said yes as it was an opportunity for me to train them based on what I have learnt during the IAAF Level One course. As every one knows, I am very dedicated and what I do I do it from the bottom of my heart. The girls seem to enjoy every minute. My group is made up girls of 12 to 13 years of age who seem happy to do hurdles, long jump, a bit of running, shot put and also the high jump. I’m very satisfied about their attendance because they don’t miss too often and when I ask them whether they are enjoying themselves they say that they look forward to coming and they don’t even notice that half an hour has passed.”

Rose Tabone Officer Juniors Lee Micallef Public Relations Peter Barbara Asst. Sec & Social Events co-ordinator Cyprian Dalli Secretary Paul Grima Clubhouse Director Roger Zammit Technical Director Any contributions for the next issue of the Shamrock may be sent to the editor.

“I am enjoying every minute of it and hope to see some of them joining in athletics. It doesn’t matter which club they join as long we see the girls on the move” Rose is truly awe inspiring because she puts in so much into athletics whilst expecting very little. For her there is nothing better than seeing one of her protégées enjoying the sport and taking up athletics. If there were more people like her, there’s no doubt that the sport would be on much healthier footing. One of her athletes is Charlene Formosa, who has personal bests of 1:52.4 in the 600m, 14:80 in the 100m, 49.9 in the 300m and 15.11 in the 70m hurdles. Last year she did a personal best of 4.19.84 in the 1200m in the National Championships and now that she is a year older, Rose says that she is expecting her to do even better.

FISEC Medal for Spiteri One athlete who has been doing better is Simon Spiteri who took part in this year’s edition of the FISEC Games and went a way with a bronze medal in the 3000m. Simon is another who can teach most of us, such is his dedication for the sport. I was impressed last year when he attended the IAAF Level 1 coaching course purely to learn more and hope that he can keep up with his passion for athletics. Be it in running, coaching or administration, I’m sure that he has a great future.

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◄ Continued from Page 1 His departure meant that I encountered some problems with respect to coaching in 2002 and these where only solved the following year when I decided to take part in the GSSE as my main target. My 800m races in Malta were so good that I dropped to a PB of 1:57:10, but it was not enough to get selected for the GSSE although the standard was good. Since I lacked power, I decided not to blame anyone and accepted that my rivals were the ones to be taking part whilst at the same time feeling proud with my own performances. Then few days after the final qualification race, in mid-May 2003, I developed an injury in right knee which put me out of action for six months during which I could not attend the track sessions. It was difficult to accept and I found it hard to motivate myself following my previous good performances. I decided to keep swimming and doing weights to strengthen the muscles around my knee. My determination kept me fit both physically and mentally which is very difficult in those hard moments. In January 2004 I could finally get back on the track and soon I was back to my normal running rhythm so much so that I was running as well as I ever had. This led me to take part in the European Deaf Indoors Championship held in Sofia, Bulgaria where I qualified to semifinal although I was not accustomed to running on these short sloping tracks!

by, I felt I needed to change something. So I cycled in gym, swam more in my free time and also did more weights. This routine resulted in stronger endurance that it helped speed up my recovery process.

races and other races makes me more confident for such a strenuous sport. I took part in other races abroad like the European Cross Country with Deaf in Portugal 2006 followed by a 3rd place in Aqualthon in the UK.

But it also changed me completely: I ended up switchi ng from track to another sport, the Triathlo n. The time had come for me to change so I tried a short triathlon for beginners and I completed it well. I decided to move on with this new sport and now I am taking it very seriously.

My triathlon history seems to be becoming more varied and rd interesting this year. I came 3 in last Half Ironman held in Malta last May, and my personal best in other Triathlons seems improving gradually.

“You have to try, with your own determination and motivation, to achieve in what you believe in.”

Then the following year - 2005 – I suffered another injury, this time in the left calf and this was much harder to heal. I tried my best to remain convinced to complete a quick recovery but as time passed

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My training currently consists of a combination of swims in the National pool in morning before work 3 times weekly with a coach, followed with some endurance cycles with my racer, and some runs. My progress in triathlon races seems to be going well since I am ranking in the best 5th places for now. Also, taking part in local cycling races, local sea swim

So looking back at my history as a ‘normal’ athlete with St. Patrick’s AC, I have passed from different moments in different sporting disciplines. I would like to be an e example to the rest. Although nothing is impossible, you have to try, with your own determination and motivation, achieve in what you believe although you pass from hard moments and pressures. This can help you gain a winning mentality. Sports has helped me integrate better in society, escape from a hectic routine and has strengthened my character. George VellaGeorgierun

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Report from the Annual General Meeting 2008 The AGM was this year held on Wednesday 17 July 2008 at the Clubhouse, Gudja with the following Agenda 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Reading and Approval of the last AGM Minutes; Reading and approval of Financial Statements; Policy address by the President; Amendments to Statute and motions; Other Matters.

After the resignation of the Secretary Ms Paula Vella, in mid term, Antoine Attard volunteered to draft the minutes. 1. Reading and Approval of the last AGM Minutes; The Minutes of the last General Meeting held on Friday 27 July 2007 were read. Stephen Mifsud raised a point of order in that he was not sure if a quorum was reached. The President remarked that we had sufficient members for a quorum, but he also remarked that the attendance could have been better. He said that this happens in most AGMs of other organizations particularly so since this year there were no elections on the agenda as per statute. The approval of the Minutes was proposed by Paul Grima and seconded by Peter Barbara. The Minutes were approved. 2. Financial Statements The Treasurer, Joe Zerafa, read and presented a copy of the Financial Statements which saw a slight increase in Assets over the previous year. There is however a decrease in annual payments of subscriptions. It was agreed that a subcommittee would design a campaign to increase membership. Edwin Spiteri and Charles Darmanin remarked that the fees for participation in the Road Races were a deterrent. Peter Barbara said that higher fees had to be justified. Rose Tabone said that we should go to schools to promote our races like other clubs did. Stephen Mifsud opined that we should start with Gudja 8K and lower race fees. We could than assess the impact. Lee Micallef said that our members should be offered a special price for participating in running events. He said that we should consider for example giving a free race to each member. Other clubs did it. The Financial Statements were proposed by Stephen Mifsud and seconded by Lee Micallef. They were approved. 3. Policy Address by the President Antoine Attard brought up various issues for discussion. He remarked that we should be proud of our achievements in the double win of the road running league 2007-2008. He thanked the successful ‘A’

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teams, and all other teams that participated. He thanked all members for their loyalty, dedication and motivation during the past year. He mentioned his active participation in the MAAA Council. This had turned the image of the association into a positive one. He mentioned as an example the visit and lecture of Peter Thompson Head Coach IAAF, and his lecture in improving long distance running, and that of the IAAF Coaching Director Quinton Botes and Melanie Curds in September. Saint Patrick’s have now another two IAAF Level One certified Coaches in Rose Tabone and Katya Sapiano. Rose Tabone was subsequently appointed one of the Coaches of the KMS’ Project Girls on the move. Her enthusiasm and dedication has thus been recognized and she regularly coaches a good number of young girls on Fridays in connection with this project. This makes Saint Patrick’s really proud. He remarked that the unpaid members were considerable not withstanding the various reminders. He was not in favour that these should be struck off the membership list. He suggested that a subcommittee made up of Peter Barbara and Stephen Spiteri should be appointed to launch a membership campaign. Their assignment should also be shared with the future Secretary yet to be appointed. He remarked that the sponsorship agreement with enjoytherun had elapsed. He thanked Antonello Gauci for his generosity and support but suggested that we urgently need to look for a sponsor in the first meeting of the Committee. He said that he was not in favour of increasing the burden on members, and athletes but to make better use of the facilities for badly needed funds. He again suggested that the Pakkett ta’ Servizzi which was discussed by the past Committee should be seriously tackled. We should generate good income if we made better use of the clubhouse for let’s say physiotherapy and massage, aerobics and hip-hop classes, weight control advice etc. He hoped that the members will give concrete support to the initiative and promotion should start in earnest. He referred to the good relations with the Gudja Community, especially the Nursery of the Gudja United Football Club. He said that we have given some running skills through the good support of the coaches including Valerie Farrugia, to the Football Club and will look to consolidate the co-operation in the future. The nursery can be a springboard for our participation particularly next season in the Track and Field. Antoine Attard also referred to the importance of reaching our members and others. He reminded all

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that our mission is to promote a healthy lifestyle in the Maltese Society. The Shamrock is our mouth piece together with the website. It is important that the efforts invested in the Shamrock are sustained, but there is also the need for more support and organisation in this regard. He said that he was very satisfied with the exposure the Club had in the media this year and he singled in particular Paul Grech for his constant efforts to reach this level of promotion. He also thanked Emile Vassallo for building and updating the website.

members such as Stephen Mifsud and Charles Darmanin, the longest serving member who were crucial in their contributions.

Antoine Attard concluded by saying that he was glad that the committee functioned well and was in gear. He thanked Paul Grima for refurbishing and keeping the Clubhouse. Lee Micallef for his donations and overall contributions. Stephen Spiteri for his drive for sponsors and fund raising, Peter Barbara for his leadership in organizing social activities which generated badly needed funds and the rest of Committee and non-committee

Antoine Attard than proposed that members Cyprian Dalli, and Marvin Mangion both of Gudja would sit on the Committee. The nominations were approved unanimously by the AGM.

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Regarding Road Races Charles Darmanin and Stephen Mifsud would liase to propose a reform in Race Participation Points system. Charles Darmanin was invited to keep writing the very interesting articles on the Shamrock and his erstwhile contribution to the Club. He will be involving the Fr James McGury in the write ups of the history of the club.

The meeting was adjourned at 9.15 pm Antoine Attard

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Beat the Heat: Running in Summer Running in the hot and humid Maltese summer can be tough. IAAF Level 1 coach Mario Pisani explains how to make things more comfortable in this his first article for the Shamrock. Summer time in Malta can sometimes be an unpleasant experience due to very hot temperatures and high levels of humidity. I admire those runners who meet early in the morning for their training to run as a group and then finish off with a good swim after their run. Apart that it is a fantastic idea for socializing, it helps the body to cool better after exposing it to the sun during the run.

high transpiration material. 4. Make sure to drink a good amount of water or energy drink. Avoid cold drinks before, during and after your training; these should be at room temperature for better absorption.

Do’s and Don’ts Avoid coffee and alcohol which can boost dehydration by inducing more urine.

Preventing heat injuries Now lets get more serious regarding running in hot summer days by passing on some useful tips which many times are taken for granted and easily ignored. 1. Wake up earlier (this might be difficult for those lazy ones); remember that by 7.00am it is already hot outside. If you can’t make it in the morning then go for your training later in the evening ideally after 7.00pm. 2. Before you go out make sure that you apply a high factor sunscreen protection, plus never forget to rub some petroleum jelly in high risk friction areas. 3. Your running gear should be light in colour and of

Drinking too much water can also lead to hyponatraemia (water intoxication) and this occurs when the body’s water and sodium (salt) level get out of balance. The symptoms here are similar to those of dehydration: confusion, disorientation, muscle weakness (cramps) and vomiting. Therefore one has to be careful about the amounts taken; however fluids are important before, during and after runs. One should also replenish lost minerals by regularly eating fruits and vegetables: bananas, watermelon, carrots and tomatoes are a great way to replace fluids and minerals. Run shorter distances and avoid intensive training during hot hours of the day. Enjoy your running and take care! For additional coaching advice, Mario Pisani may be contacted on 79255076 or [email protected].

Property Development and leasing of Offices and Commercial Premises Financial, Fiduciary and Trustee Services Investments, Business Development International Trading

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St. Patrick’s AC in the Community:

Move for Health In order to help reach the aims of its’ mission statement – that of taking athletics to a wider audience – St. Patrick’s AC played a key role in the organisation of the Move for Health event. Charles Micallef, Fitness Promoter, Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Department, writes about this event.

Each year at least 1.9 million people die globally as a result of physical inactivity and in the European Region, this accounts for about 600,000 deaths. At least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity, 5 days per week, reduces the risk of several common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even certain types of cancers such as cancer of the colon.

Physical Activity. With this in mind, the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in collaboration with the St Patrick's Athletic Club, the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport (KMS) and the Scout Association of Malta held a 3 km Fun Run activity at Ta' Qali grounds on Saturday, May 24, 2008. Over 250 people from all walks of life (children, young people, elderly, disabled and tourists) took part in this non-competitive event. Everyone was a winner and was eventually rewarded with a nice medal. Here I cannot forget Mr Antoine Attard (President of the St Patrick’s Club) and his colleague Ms Valerie Farrugia, who worked really hard and contributed so much to make this event a truly successful one. The help received from Mr Andrew Decelis (Director, KMS) also deserves praise. On behalf of my director, Dr Charmaine Gauci, I would also like to thank as well the other departments and organizations who helped us during this successful event which was started by Hon. Dr Joseph Cassar, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Social Policy. These were: the Traffic Police Section; St Augustine's College Air Scout Group; Lyceum Scout Group; Dingli Scout Group; PARK's Department; St John

The World Health Organization (WHO)‘s Move for Health Day provides a focal point to generate public awareness of the benefits of Physical Activity in the prevention of NCDs. The theme chosen by the WHO for this year's Move for Health Day was “Physical Activity For All” as it was felt that there is a clear need to address the issue of social inequalities in the access to

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Ambulance; JUGS & DJS pa sound systems; San Michel water; and Tip Top. I will not say more but the pictures say it all!

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Name Haithem Drew Richard Konstantin Andrew Fabio Jason Johann Simon Keith Philippe Kevin Johann David Rodney Antoine Jefferson Simon Giselle Luke Noel Kenneth Joseph Manuel Joseph Stephen Carmen Josie Frankie Martin Sinclair Kevin Josann Carmelo Marisa Alexander Carmel Abraham Alexander Alfred Gino Tony Pierre Lee Denise Antoine Joseph Jeffrey Paula Raymond Stephen Charles David Emile The Shamrock

Surname Ksheim Lang Chetcuti Rozhnov Grech Spiteri Martin Galea Lia Galea Lepied Muscat Attard Sammut Cassar Abela Camilleri Camilleri Camilleri Bonnici Spiteri Curmi Farrugia Spiteri Barbieri Mifsud Hili Vella Galea Agius Grima Borg Attard Gatt Muscat Pulo Farrugia Zammit Mifsud Curmi Chetcuti Vella Pirotta Micallef Borda Zammit Debono Callus Vella Scicluna Spiteri Abela Demarco Vassallo September ’08 8

Time 33.35 35.05 35.19 35.27 35.42 35.47 36.14 36.44 36.58 37.35 37.43 37.47 38.01 38.01 38.49 39.05 39.09 39.21 40.03 40.07 40.28 41.02 41.06 41.19 41.19 41.55 42.03 42.07 42.08 42.09 42.18 42.19 42.36 42.59 43.04 43.15 43.31 44.03 44.19 44.28 44.36 44.38 44.47 44.51 44.56 45.16 45.32 45.35 46.37 46.42 46.47 47.31 47.55 48.12

Easy for Ksheim in Garmin Birzebbugia 10k Injury and unhappy timing meant that the majority of Malta’s leading road running specialists stayed away from this year’s Garmin Birzebbugia 10K, but that does not detract from what was a very impressive win by Haithem Ksheim. St. Patrick’s AC’s Libyan runner has over recent months emerged as a force to be reckoned with over the longer distances and has underlined his potential with a series of wins in various road races. His reputation was further enhanced in Birzebbugia where he dominated from start to finish, ending up with a winning margin of one and a half minutes with a finish of 33:35. Indeed it could be argued that the lack of any significant challenge worked against Ksheim who failed to improve on his previous year’s finish of 33:00. Not that Drew Lang, who eventually finished second, ever gave up. The veteran athlete, also of St. Patrick’s AC, remains a determined competitor despite his age and was well pleased to finish second in a race where he has done very well in the past. He just managed to edge out Mellieha’s Richard Chetcuti who finished the race in 35:19 with Lang in on 35:05. Yet perhaps the most impressive result of the day was Konstantin Roshnov’s fourth place finish with a time of 35:27. Running in the colours of St. Patrick’s AC the sixteen year-old was a revelation although his performance should not be much of a surprise given that his father Ivan is one of the most Johanna Calleja 48.28 respected and Peter Barbara 48.46 knowledgeable local Francis Sant 49.00 coaches.

Blair Marylynn Albert Andrew Wolley Vitale Angelique Ruben Maurizio Emmanuel Alfred Paul Ivania Victor Neville David Victor Sylvana Ruben Kler Nicholas Raffaele Edwin Manuel Alan Donald Irene

Delceppo Bezzina Cilia Xuereb Ghiller Manto Attard Magro Abela Debattista Demarco Grima Carabott Spiteri Gatt Jones Sammut Ungaro Debono Azzopardi Naudi Sigona Spiteri Bezzina Delceppo Cauchi Zahra

49.10 49.29 49.30 50.04 50.58 51.45 51.45 52.21 53.07 53.24 54.26 54.45 55.10 56.09 56.13 56.17 56.41 56.44 56.53 58.19 59.16 1.00.08 1.00.32 1.01.05 1.01.40 1.09.00 1.09.18

Roshnov senior happens to be the coach of Giselle Camilleri who continued with her recent return back to full fitness with another win. Camilleri, another St. Patrick’s AC athlete, won in 40:03 which will be another significant boost after her recent results on the track that saw her regain her place in the Maltese squad. Carmen Hili, also of St. Patrick’s AC and last year’s winner, finished second in a time of 42:03 which was almost a minute slower than the time she set last year while Starmax AC’s Josann Attard was third (42:36). www.stpatricksac.info

St. Patrick's AC Race Participation Scheme 2007 - 2008 Pos.

NAME

CATEGORY

UP to Mellieha

B'Bugia 10 K

TOTAL

1

LEE MICALLEF

M35

2562

226

2788

2

CARMEN HILI

W35

2534

238

2772

3

WALLY GHILLER

M50

2452

212

2664

4

PAUL GRIMA

M45

2430

204

2634

5

DREW LANG

M40

2342

248

2590

6

JONATHAN BALZAN

M35

2472

7

KSHEIM HAITHEM

M OPEN

1972

250

2222

8

DAVID JONES

M40

2008

200

2208

9

RUBEN DEBONO

M45

1962

198

2160

10

RUBEN MAGRO

M OPEN

1882

208

2090

11

MARISA MUSCAT

W35

1854

232

2086

12

CHARLES DARMANIN

M50

2038

13

GINO CHETCUTI

M45

1720

14

EUGENIO FARRUGIA

M45

1940

15

STEPHEN MIFSUD

M50

1632

240

1872

16

STEPHEN SPITERI

M45

1494

220

1714

17

PETER BARBARA

M55

1398

214

1612

18

MARTIN AGIUS

M50

1316

236

1552

19

JIMMY BONNICI

M40

1398

20

ALFRED DEMARCO

M55

1182

21

PATRICK SALIBA

M OPEN

1360

22

CHARLES ABELA

M35

1074

218

1292

23

PAULA VELLA

W OPEN

1062

222

1284

24

ANDREA AGIUS

M OPEN

1274

1274

25

MICHAEL GELLEL

M35

1270

1270

26

SAVO RISTIC

M35

1232

1232

27

MICHAEL CALLEJA

M55

1188

1188

28

PHILIP CAMILLERI

M60

1102

1102

29

DONALD CAUCHI

M50

908

194

1102

30

EMILE VASSALLO

M35

886

216

1102

31

GISELLE CAMILLERI

W OPEN

850

244

1094

32

ANTOINE ATTARD

M55

1060

1060

33

SIMON S. CAMILLERI

M35

1058

1058

34

SINCLAIR GRIMA

M35

806

35

JUDE ZAMMIT

M40

1038

1038

36

GEORGE VELLA

M OPEN

1030

1030

37

KENNETH RYDER

M60

1014

1014

38

JOSEPH ZERAFA

M50

1006

1006

39

IVAN PADOVANI

M45

984

984

40

CARMEL ZAMMIT

M50

940

940

2472

2038 228

1948 1940

1398 206

1388 1360

234

1040

41

SIMONE MAGRI

W35

928

928

42

RENATO CARUANA

M35

926

926

43

CYPRIAN DALLI

M OPEN

896

896

44

EMANUEL SPITERI

M50

628

242

870

45

VITALE MANTO

M60

656

210

866

46

SIMON STAFRACE

M OPEN

826

826

47

GODWIN CUTAJAR

M50

822

822

48

MARIO P. VELLA

M45

822

822

49

KONRAD CIAPPARA

M40

758

758

50 51

INAKI BERROETA DAVID CACHIA

M45

738 716

738 716

52

VICTOR SPITERI

M65

506

53

CECIL BORDA

M45

662

662

54

ANGELA SAMMUT

W40

648

648

55

CARMEL CARUANA

M40

620

620

56

HENDRIK D'AMATO

M50

620

620

57

EDWIN SPITERI

M60

424

58 59

MICHAEL GRIMA KATYA CIAPPARA

M OPEN W OPEN

592 584

592 584

60

PAWLU BRINCAT

M50

566

566

61 62

LYDIA BARBARA GEORGE ABELA

W50 M55

514 474

514 474

63

VINCENT SPITERI

M60

452

452

64

RUBEN DEGIORGIO

M OPEN

418

418

65 66

CARL MARIO ZAMMIT TONIO PRIVITELLI

M OPEN M45

416 404

416 404

67

VICTOR LAURENTI

M45

402

402

68

ANTOINE ZAMMIT

M45

174

69

PHILIP CAUCHI

M35

390

390

70

DANICA SPITERI

W OPEN

382

382

71

MONICA PISCOPO

W55

376

376

72

ADRIANA TEDESCO

W OPEN

344

344

73

KOSTANTIN ROSHNOV

74

ADRIAN FABRI

75

MICHAEL ATTARD

76 77

0

202

196

224

246

708

620

398

246

242

242

M45

238

238

ALFRED CURMI SIMON SPITERI

M OPEN

0 220

78

ERNEST DESIRA

M OPEN

206

206

79

JOYCE ZAMMIT

164

164

80 81

CHARLES MANGION WAYNE SPITERI

144 142

144 142

230

230 220

Whilst every attempt is made to present an accurate set of results, these should be checked by each participating athlete so that any unintentional errors are corrected before the December issue of The Shamrock. If you know of or have spotted any such error, kindly get in touch with Stephen Mifusd on 79443271 or [email protected].

Officiating the Track St. Patrick’s AC Initiative: Apart from when they make a controversial decision, few people take notice of the officials during a track meeting yet they play a vital role. Antoine Attard spoke to Valerie Farrugia about the attraction and challenges of being an official Valerie how long have you been on the track officiating? I guess I am one of the longest serving officials. I have been officiating for more than 10 years now but for the last 2 years I have been the Starter. How do you feel when you raise the gun for a start? Excited as much as the athletes. I feel the responsibility of their hard work on me. What do you expect when the athletes are on the starting line? To be more calm and alert for the starter’s orders. Have you also officiated abroad? Yes, in fact I have been the first MAAA official together with our dear late Joe Gerada officiating in the South of England at Woodside Stadium Watford, Senior Men and Women championships way back in 1999. What is the best experience on the Track? Every time I am on the track as an official whether as a starter or a starter assistant, is a new experience. In International meetings such as when we had the GSSE, FISEC Games and our own International meetings. How do you see Maltese Athletics in the future? Good, we have a good number of promising athletes coming up. Within 2 years we will have some Track and Field new athletes. Do you think that officials should be paid for their services? In my opinion YES. I would not want to get paid. I do it because I personally love the sports and the athletes. I simply love doing it but one cannot oblige other official to do the same thing every week-end all year round. Where ever you go you will never find anyone working for nothing doing this kind of volunteer work. Do you find cooperation from other officials on the track? Yes we have got a small group of reliable people around and they cooperate really well. You have also started many Road Running Races. Can you tell us the difference found? For the last 5 years or more I have started every Road race. The difference on the road is that there is a good number of athletes starting at one go and the starters order is simply, On Your Marks and Shoot whilst on the track the orders are different. The starter has to concentrate and focus for a false start. Any ambitions? No not really. I am happy with what I am doing. I only pray our good Lord to keep me healthy as to continue doing this voluntary work for many, many more years.

The Shamrock

September ‘08

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Across Sicily on a Bike

Earlier this year, a number of members started training for a cycling trip to Sicily. The idea took off an ultimately a group of 65 cyclists made the trip including 10 athletes from St. Patrick’s AC: Jude Zammit, Martin Agius, Joe Zerafa, Emile Vassallo, Paul Brincat, Konrad Ciappara, Gino Chetcuti, Godwin Cutajar, Carmel Caruana, Renato Caruana. The trip also served to raise some funds for charity, with the figure of €300 being collected but it was a great experience as Jude Zammit explains. Who came up with the idea of the trip? I came up with the idea and then mentioned it to the other St. Patrick's athletes during a Sunday run. The idea immediately tantalized them. Was the intention always to go across Sicily or did it develop from something else? At first it was just a bike ride anywhere in Sicily but then I researched some possible routes on google earth and concluded over a trip from Pozzallo to Syracuse and back, an overall distance of 140km. I made a few flyers with route description and other related information and distributed them on a Sunday Run. Did you expect so many people to be interested in making the trip? At first all I had in mind was a handful of athletes. Myself and a couple of other athletes actually bought the ferry ticket immediately the other St .Patrick's athletes confirmed their participation soon after. Thereafter the idea spread like wild fire. Many of the St. Patrick’s athletes subsequently enticed to the challenge, friends and athletes from other clubs. The number of participants kept growing and growing. How did they get to know about it? Information regarding training was relayed by word of mouth. However many of us were long distance runners and they were used to arduous training. Also a good number of the participants were seasoned cyclists. Participants knew the effort that it entailed, however as the number continued to increase up to the end we never knew exactly who all the people were until we met to board the ferry boat. Did everything go to plan? No matter how much you plan, something unpredictable or accidental is always bound to happen. All in all the trip was a great success however we had a few mishaps such as: an injured cyclist who needed medical attention and our accompanying van had to take him to the Hospital in Syracuse; a couple of cyclists who had to forfeit due to dehydration; a group of cyclists that somehow got separated from the main group and took a detour of about 21km. Was it harder or easier than expected? I would not say harder than expected for those that trained properly. Having said that however it was definitely not easy and anyone not trained should not attempt such a feat. On average we had cycled for 7 to 8hrs at 20kph which is not exactly a walk in the park. Any plans for future trips? It is very satisfying that I received a lot of positive feedback and there seems to be a demand for such activities. With this in mind I definitely will be organizing an other trip in the near future. I am actually in the process of studying possible routes from which I will then choose the most feasible. From the Pozzallo Syracuse trip I have learned many things, I kept a note of what works and what does not, therefore the next trip should be even better.

www.stpatricksac.info

Pisa Success for Alfred Curmi St. Patrick’s AC runner Alfred Curmi joined a group of local athletes at the Pisa Half Marathon and came back with a masters’ title. His eventual finishing time of 1:32 might not have been a personal best – that lies at 1:29 in the Malta Half-Marathon, but it was good enough to win him the 55-60 age group title. “I was not expecting to do well because after the Malta Half-Marathon I had eased off training,” he said. “I only started training for this some three weeks before the event so I was very pleased to win this.” “The race was very enjoyable, even though it

was very hot. The route was interesting and there was a good feeling among the athletes.” This was not Alfred’s first running trip abroad as he has taken part in the London marathon twice, the Giulianova marathon and the Great Northern run. The latter has left an impression on him. ”It was a great experience. There were 40,000 people taking part and it was extremely enjoyable. I would recommend that race to anyone.” Indeed, he plans to return to Newcastle next year. “Every year I try to run abroad and I am looking to see where I can go next. However, I have to say that the Great Northern Run is the most likely destination at the moment.”

For the Latest News & Views on Maltese athletics visit www.maltaathletics.blogspot.com

www.stpatricksac.info

The Shamrock

September ‘08

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The Vital Ingredient One of the most respect long distance coaches on the island and the hugely popular author of a weekly column on athletics on the Times of Malta, John Walsh talks about Maltese long distance running in his first article for The Shamrock. Every year from November to February I write a weekly Saturday article on running in The Times. I began these articles way back in 1985 as a build-up to the first Malta Marathon in February 1986. I had to do so, because road running in Malta was still in its infancy (a recent MdinaSpinola race had boasted a sparse field of only 18 runners). The early articles were filled with “training schedules”; basic advice on what sort of training a beginner might undertake in order to be able to stand on the future marathon startline.

The point of that series of articles was that we can “test” for potential physical talent; we can (and should) go out and look for future stars. However one thing I neglected to mention, and every bit as important as the “physical” potential, was the level of commitment of the person concerned. There is no way to achieve a high level of sporting excellence without a correspondingly high level of personal commitment. A large group of marathon runners in one study had to respond to the question, “How important is it for you to excel in your sport? It soon became evident that those with the highest commitment (on a scale of 1-10) became the fastest runners. As the commitment scores decreased, so did the level of performance. The same was true for athletes in a variety of other sports.

When members of the Some 23 years later, I still Video game generation: fewer Swedish national write articles every winter. children are taking up athletics badminton team were Over the years I have asked what was the main been able to move away difference between them from offering direct and others who did not make the team, their response training advice, since the number of runners in Malta was commitment (e.g.: ‘wanting it more’, ‘being willing capable of running either a half, or full marathon has to train longer and harder’). grown, and these, in turn, have been passing on running advice to friends and club-mates. Not surprisingly, the best athletes were those who were already most committed as Juniors. They made The most recent set of articles last year dealt with a the sacrifices, they did “the extra” that they believed subject I feel strongly about; Talent Identification. The would one day make them excellent athletes. general decline in participation (certainly in W. Europe) In a study in the US National Hockey League, top of young athletes in middle and long distance running coaches and scouts were asked what they saw as the has meant that we can no longer sit back and assume most important aspect for a player to make it as a pro. that enough youngsters will take up the sport that Desire, determination, attitude, heart and selfamong them will be those who are inherently highly motivation were most often mentioned as the crucial talented. ingredients that titled the balance between making it and not making it as a professional athlete. Such are the cultural changes apparent in our society, with the drop in children’s activities (when did you last This level of sheer willingness to do plain old hard see children playing in the street?) coupled to the rise work may ultimately be the most important requirement of competing pastimes (xBox, Sony Playstation, for success in our chosen sport. There is no shortcut computers in general) and, sadly, the rise in childhood to success; no-one reaches the top as a distance obesity, that fewer and fewer children are taking up runner on 10 miles of training per week. track and field athletics. Which also means that fewer “stars” are available for discovery, and in those articles I provided details on the length of time for which some local middle and long distance records have stood (a number of them for 1015 years).

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Echoing that sentiment I have always liked the saying of Juma Ikangaa, a 2:08 marathoner from Tanzania; “The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare.”

www.stpatricksac.info

St. Patricks’s A.C.

The ERREA' Gudja 8 K Road Race 2008 Under M.A.A.A. Rules

RACE INFORMATION

Date:

Sunday 5th October 2008

Time:

8 km Open Race:

Start & Finish:

St Patrick’s AC Clubhouse Dawret il-Gudja, Gudja Bypass (close to Bettina Palace)

8.30 a.m.

Race Benefits for ALL participants (including the Fun Runners): • A commemorative medal • A goodie bag, including an ERREA’ Tee Shirt Prizes:

8km Open Race: • First 3 Males: Trophy and Vouchers for €35, €25, €15 • First 3 Females: Trophy and Vouchers for €35, €25, €15 Age Groups: • First Under 20 Male & Female • Male Over 35/ 40/45/50/55/60/65/70 • Female Over 35/40/45/50/55/60 • 1st Male and 1st Female residing in Gudja • • •

Number of participants consisting of 8 and more, 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize awarded Number of participants consisting of 5 to 7, 1st and 2nd prize awarded Less than 5 participants, only 1st prize awarded

Any athlete winning more than one prize must accept the first prize Eligibility:

• •

Entry Fee:

• 8km Open Race: € 10.00

8km: 17 years on the day of the race Fun Run: Open to all ages • Fun Run: € 3.00

Course measurement:

• The calibrated bicycle method shall be used. • Course will be marked and marshaled

Water Stations:

At the 4th kilometre, and Finish

Closing date:

Presentation:

Saturday 27th September 2008. Late entries will only be accepted against a fee of € 20.00. Will be held next to the St Patrick’s AC clubhouse after the race

Race Numbers and Results: Race Nos. will be sent by post whilst results will be sent by e-mail but can also be downloaded from www.stpatricksac.info

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St. Patricks’s A.C.

The ERREA' Gudja 8 K Road Race 2008 Under M.A.A.A. Rules

RACE APPLICATION

PLEASE USE BLOCK LETTERS Surname: Name:

Sex:

Male

Female

Address:

Telephone:

Age on day of race:

E-Mail

Name of Club (if any): I am entering the:

8km

(€ 10)

Fun Run (€ 3)

I enclose herewith my cheque/postal order no. , value , being the amount of the entry fee. (Please note that entries will not be accepted unless accompanied by entry fee). Cheques/Postal orders should be made payable to “ST PATRICK’S AC” only. I declare that I will abide by the eligibility rules and competition rules of M.A.A.A. and St. Patrick’s AC. I accept that the organisers will not be liable for any loss, damage or injury I may sustain as a consequence of my participation in the “The ERREA’ GUDJA 8K ROAD RACE”. I declare that I have trained sufficiently for the event and that a medical doctor has monitored my physical condition. I hereby declare that the above particulars are complete and correct in every detail.

Tick Box if you DO NOT wish to include your E-mail address for promotional purposes by Saint Patrick’s Athletic Club.

Signature:

Date:

2008

Entries and remittance are to be sent to: Race Organiser ST PATRICK’S AC, ‘Wintermoor’ 69, Triq Karmenu Vassallo L-Iklin BZN 11 Closing date: Saturday 27th September 2008

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Application form for all St. Patrick's A.C. Athletes participating in the

M.A.A.A. WINTER LEAGUE 2007/2008. Commencing on Sunday 19th October 2008.

PLEASE USE BLOCK LETTERS

Surname: Name:

Sex (M-Male/F-Female):

Address:

Telephone:

Date of Birth:

Entry Fee € 10.00. I enclose herewith my cheque/postal order no._________, value ________ being the amount of the entry fee. (Please note that entries will not be accepted unless accompanied by entry fee). Cheques/Postal orders should be made payable to “ST. PATRICK’S AC.” only.

Signature : _________________________

Date : ____________________

Entries and remittance are to be sent to : ST. PATRICK’S AC. 69 “WINTERMOOR”, KARMENU VASSALLO STR. L-IKLIN BZN 11

Closing date: Saturday 4th October 2008. This application form can be photocopied.

Future Stars: Birzebbugia Fun Run

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September ’08 18

www.stpatricksac.info

Revision of Race Participation Scheme For the Athletic Season 2008/2009, the races that will be awarded points are as follows:

Race

Points

Ladies 10K 200 Gudja 8K 300 MAAA Road Running League (4 or 5 races as per MAAA) 250 each Malta Running Challenge 250 Zurrieq Half Marathon 200 Birkirkara 5k (December race only) 100 Mdina - Spinola 200 Malta Half & Full Marathon 250 / 300 Dingli 10 300 Pembroke 10K 200 Mellieha 10K 200 Mosta 8K 100 Birzebbugia 10K 300 Clubs League (Track & Field events covering 3 meetings 300 ♣ Athletes should note that 2 road races and track events have been added to the list of races. In order to help the middle and back-of–the–pack runners it was decided that bonus points will be given to athletes as follows:500 extra points for completing ALL the above races ; ♣ 400 extra points for completing all the above races except 1; ♣ 300 extra points for completing all the above races except 2; ♣ 200 extra points for completing all the above races except 3; ♣ 100 extra points for completing all the above races except 4 ♣

This new system for giving points will be tried out for the coming season and improved upon after a year’s trial.

F’Ghajnejn ir-Runner Is-sajf qieghed maghna. Hafna shana u xemx tahraq li thallik bla nifs. Ahseb u ara kemm ikollok aptit titrenja u tibqa ghaddej b’dak ir-ritmu ta’ qabel is-sajf! Minhabba hekk, certu tlielaq li jigu organizzati jigu affetwati minn nuqqas ta’ konkorrenza, paragon ma’ dawk li jigu organizzati fix-xitwa. Specjalment dik ta’ Birzebbugia fejn kullhadd ibaghti fiha rigward hin, performance u attendnza. Pero’ dawk li jiehdu sehem, jipsiccaw it-tigrija bi tbissima li rnexxielhom jispiccaw fost atmosfera ferrieha u divertenti. Tigrija li tkun organizzata sa’ l-inqas dettal kif jafu jaghmlu s-St. Patrick’s kull meta jorganizzaw tellieqa. L-Annual General Meeting giet u ghaddiet. L-istorja regghat irrepetiet ruha. Ma kienx hemm iktar min ghaxar min nies apparti l-kumitat li l-anqas ma’ kien komplut. www.stpatricksac.info

Pero’ kien hemm diskussjonijiet interessanti. Dejjem nistaqs: ghaliex din l-apatija mill-membri? Ghaliex ma naghmlux ftit sforz biex ghallinqas nattendu darba f’sena u nkunu nafu x’qed jigri gewwa l-klabb u kullhadd ikun jista’ jghid tieghu? Nahseb li hemm xi haga li mhux timxi sew fil-klabb. Ghadni ma’ nafx x’inhi. Pretendejt li ghallinqas fost dawk prezenti jkun hemm it-Top Athletes. Imbaghad ilklabb jaghmel min kollox biex jagevolhom. Ma rajt ilhadd minnhom hlief wiehed. Nawgura lill-kumitat sena ohra tajba ta’ hidma. Hidma li jaghmlu volontarjament ghalina l-membri. Ahna l-bqijja tal-membri ghandna nkunu iktar rikonoxxenti lejhom. Inkunu pronti nhallsu l-mizata. Nattendu kull tigrija li jorganizza l-klabb taghna. Nigru bil-gear tal-klabb. Nattendu kull attivita li jorganizza u nippruvaw naghtu kontribut fix-Shamrock, l-ikbar mezz li ghandna biex naghtu vuci lil klabb u nzommuh haj u zghazugh. Paul Grima The Shamrock

September ’08

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