1984’S Masterful Throwback After A 12-Year Absence,Schmidt Returns To Field

Staring into the maw of your own mortality can lead one to appreciate the simpler things of life.

Like birdwatching.

That’s what led two-time Olympian bronze medalist and former world record holder Kate Schmidt to pick up a javelin again after a 12-year absence.

“I heard months ago, maybe a year ago, that the world (veteran) championships were next year in South Africa,” Schmidt said. “I wanted to go birding in South Africa.”

So Schmidt, three years removed from ovarian cancer surgery, entered Spokane’s USATF National Masters Track and Field meet, clandestinely she hoped, thinking she needed it to qualify.

But how do you keep secret the appearance of a two-time Olympian, whose best throw more than a decade ago was 38-1/2 feet farther than this year’s No. 1 U.S. qualifier to Atlanta?

“What’s happened to my sport?”, she asked. “We had three 190-foot throwers in high school back in 1969.”

Schmidt set a modest 40-45 age group national record Thursday afternoon at Spokane Falls Community College that was some 84-1/2 feet less than her one-time world record of 227-5.

That she is throwing again was a marvel and a delight to admiring peers and spectators.

“It was fun to see her out there,” said Kimmie Allegre, a two-time national masters champ who threw against Schmidt when they were collegians two decades ago. “My husband called and said, ‘guess who you’re throwing against - Kate the Great.’ There goes my championship down the tube.”

It was August 1993 when Schmidt was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

“I’m delighted to be alive. It’s sort of about that, too,” Schmidt said of her re-acquaintance with the javelin. “You can’t let things matter anymore.”

She readily talks about the illness, a third-stage microscopic tumor that burst and, as a result, probably saved her life.

“There are no symptoms (of ovarian cancer),” she said. “When it burst pelvic peritonitis (set in) and a doctor found it.”

Within two days she was on the operating table. Afterward, she got encouraging news from the smiles on her doctors’ faces.

Six months of chemotherapy followed. In May, 1994 she ran 5 kilometers in 28 minutes.

“I thought it was the most incredible thing I did,” she said.

Schmidt was present for her induction into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in September 1994.

She has begun coaching the shot put and discus at Beverly Hills High and has an aquatics injury rehabilitation business in Los Angeles.

This week’s Masters meet marks the third anniversary of the cancer’s remission and is also the essence of track and field to Schmidt.

“The more money there was in it, the more repulsive it was to me,” she said. “The most I ever made was $7,500 as a two-time medal winner and world record holder. The purity of it was the attraction.”

The 42-year-old Schmidt’s injury-filled career included Olympics medals in 1972 and ‘76. She made the team that boycotted the 1980 Games. Her career ended at the Trials in 1984 because a tear in her shoulder made throwing impossible.

“I said it doesn’t work anymore. This is crazy and no fun,” said Schmidt.

A career that had begun at age 13 because, “by a freak of nature I had a good arm,” that was largely selftaught, and was fulfilling because of its individuality, was over.

But, Masters javelin throwers be warned. Durbin, South Africa calls. Her throw in Spokane was very short but the experience was very fun, she said. If everything holds up, she’ll be back.

“Coming to a meet like this is perfect,” said Schmidt. “Give me a jug of ice tea, a bucket of spears on a sunny day at UCLA and I’m the happiest girl on the planet.”

In the record books

Not only did Schmidt set an age group record in the javelin at 143-0, but records fell for others as well.

Eighty-one-year-old Betty Jarvis of Talequah, Okla., improved the women’s 80-84 mark by more than 12 feet with a throw of 35 feet.

Jarvis first threw the discus at age 16 on a boys team in New Jersey. She credited her strong arm with being a riveter during World War II.

“When you live long enough things happen,” she said of her success in Masters track. “It’s a form of insanity you know.”

Longest throw of the competition, 145-6, was by first-time competitor Shaney (Coe) Redmon, 32, a North Central graduate and WSU All-American.

Another record setter was Spokane 65-year-old June Machala who broke the previous 5,000 meter age group mark by 25 seconds with a time of 22 minutes, 15.84 seconds.

“Every year I’m getting slower,” the 10-year runner bemoaned. “But I’m getting older, you know.”

Spokane Olympic Trials marathon participants Kim Jones and Stan Holman were winners of their age group 5,000. Jones was overall winner (16:18.54) and Holman (15:45.88) had the second-fastest men’s time behind Anthony Rodiez of New Berlin, Wis.

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