Steve Prefontaine

Pre at the Olympic Games in Munich (http://www.sportshollywood.com/images/pre/pre.jpg)

Today, a hero for me is hard to come by. Great men and women do not simply appear out of the air and rush to their call to greatness by helping millions or inspiring others. Heroes are usually made, through hard work, perseverance, and dedication. They are not born with these heroic qualities, but are instead forced to work to achieve them. Few men or women fit this difficult and intricate mold. But a man from Coos Bay, Oregon was able to fill it admirably. His name was Steve Prefontaine.

Steve Roland Prefontaine, or “Pre” as many called him, was born January 25, 1951 in Coos Bay, Oregon. Steve’s parents were Ray and Elfriede Prefontaine, who also had an older daughter Neta and a younger daughter Linda. Pre grew up and attended Marshfield High School. Here, though he attempted many sports, Pre found his true calling in cross country running. As a freshman, he ran a 5:01 mile time. As if that was too slow and being determined to improve even more, Pre began to train harder and harder. He knew inside that he wanted to truly become legend.

Pre on the cover of Sports Illustrated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Prefontaine )

Building off his first year, Pre trained furiously and in his junior and senior years won every meet including state. One must imagine the work and commitment it takes to complete this task. Pre completed a feat that high school runners today only ever dream of completing. In order to be the best, which was the only acceptable position to someone like Pre, he had to train the hardest. While his friends were having fun and carrying on, Pre was often training, subjecting himself to almost ridiculous distances. For example, Pre’s racing style was different from that of a typical runners. Pre would, rather than draft his opponents and conserve energy, run as hard as he could in every single race he ran in. Though this was a different strategy it proved successful for him to leave it all on the track. By the time Pre had focused his life on pursuing his running dreams, his career truly began to kick off.

Pre then attended the University of Oregon, earning his B.A. in communications and competing on the XC (Cross Country) team. His coach, Bill Bowerman later founded Nike Shoe Company. Pre always had a lot of faith in his coach’s council, and under Bowerman he was able to train more efficiently. Again after his freshman year, Pre went undefeated in both Track and XC. In 1972, his junior year, Pre went to the Summer Olympics in Munich. Here, Pre competed in distance track events. By now, the famous childhood nickname “Pre” had grown into an unforgettable chant, cheered by all who supported him. At one point, Pre held every American distance-track record. He was such a dominant runner in high school that his records at Marshfield High still stand. Pre graduated from the University of Oregon and began to set his sights on the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Despite never reaching his goal of the 1976 Olympics, knowing Pre, he would have attempted to sweep the distance track events.

Pre striding to victory (www.slb-coaching.com)

Unfortunately, Pre’s life was taken May 30, 1975 while driving home from a party. With his death also came the death of possibly the greatest distance runner in American history. His life was taken when he swerved left into a stone wall and was trapped underneath. A memorial stands at the rock wall, known as “Pre’s Rock” near Hendricks Park in Oregon. Also a track event known as “The Pre Classic” has been held in his honor since 1974. His personal records are on the rock and are 2000 meters - 5:01.4, 3000 meters - 7:42.6, 5000 meters - 13:22.4, 10000 meters - 27:43.6, 2 miles - 8:18.4, 3 miles - 12:51.4 and 6 miles - 26:51.8.

Pre is a hero to many for his qualities. Pre is a hero to me because he is so inspirational, and such a great role model. Great athletes who have worked that hard to achieve their goals are becoming rarer. It is important that we remember the ones that have passed so we may try to emulate their work ethics as we travel through life.