Nevah Surrendah
by Forrest Sanders
“Nevah, Nevah, Nevah Surrendah” was what his t-shirt said and at the time I did not know the full meaning of the message. The only reason I even noticed the t-shirt was because the man that was wearing it stood out in sea of physically fit middle aged rowers at Masters Nationals. He walked with a cane and could barely stand upright, but what you noticed was that medal hanging around his neck. As he walked down the sidewalk people would all congratulate him on his accomplishment, and you could tell by the smile he was proud of that medallion. It was not until returning to Nashville that I realized how big this man’s accomplishment really was.
The man’s name is Paul Green and at 87 years old he was the oldest competitor at the regatta. That is in itself is quite a feat but it is not the full extent of this man’s accomplishment. Paul Green was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 75. Since then Paul has been using rowing and other vigorous exercise to combat the onset of a disease that should have rendered him helpless. Here is a man that is an inspiration to all defying aging and a debilitating disease. In an interview with US Rowing, Pauls says the following of the sport:
“I’ve rowed in various regattas over the years,” Green said. “I do it for my health, for the competition and for the camaraderie. I like that it’s intergenerational.
“I’m not just with old people,” he said. “I’m with the kids and masters. I think that rowing is something that is just very important to stay young.”
You can read more about the man and his accomplishments at his web site:
Hopefully he can be an inspiration to all of us to get out and enjoy life through the sport of rowing.
