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The Fifty-Plus Lifelong Fitness created the Emil Zatopek Award in 1991,
named after the great Czechoslovakian distance runner who won three gold
medals (5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and marathon) at the 1952 Olympic
Games in Helsinki. The feat has never been duplicated. This prestigious
and one-of-a kind award is bestowed to individuals who attain courageous
and memorable achievements in sports and in life, and who, in doing so,
inspire others (especially older individuals) to live a fit and active
lifestyle.
Appropriately, Emil Zatopek was the first recipient of this unique award
after he was brought to Palo Alto by Fifty-Plus and the Palo Alto Medical
Foundation for medical evaluation of a spinal/leg problem, which was
diagnosed as incurable spina bifida. The "Human Locomotive," as
they called Zatopek, was reduced to a limp. But that didn't dampen his
contagious positive spirit. Most importantly, while accepting the inaugural
award, Zatopek demonstrated that the sporting instinct provides lasting
benefits for ourselves, and to those people to whom we serve as "mentors" later
in life.
Since the presentation of the first Emil Zatopek Award, a progression
of outstanding individuals devoted to the cause of lifelong fitness and
health have received the perpetual Zatopek trophy at our Annual
Awards Dinner.
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| 1991 |
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Emil Zatopek, on right, (b.1922 - d.2000) is regarded by
many as the greatest distance runner of all time. He also had an
exemplary rare devotion to physical fitness throughout his life. "We
forget our bodies to the benefit of mechanical leisure," Zatopek
said. "We act continuously with our brain, but we no longer
use our bodies, our limbs…We have a magnificent motor at our
disposal, but we no longer know how to use it." |
| 1992 |
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Dr. Paul Spangler, MD, (b.1899 - d.1994) held 41 U.S. single-age
and age-group running records in a sport in which he continued to
compete right up until his death at 95 years old. He competed at
multiple distances on the track and roads, from 100 meters to the
marathon. Spangler also holds the distinction of the oldest American
(92 years old) ever to complete a marathon. He ran his last marathon
at New York City in 1991. Paul competed in many Fifty-Plus 8K annual
races. He was a true pioneer in the mission of our organization. |
| 1993 |
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Payton Jordan is one of the most recognized track and field
coaches and athletes of all time. As a young athlete, he was a championship
sprinter at Pasadena High School and then the University of Southern
California. During his 10 years as track and field coach at Occidental
(1947-1956), Jordan produced one of the sport's greatest dynasties.
In a subsequent 22-year coaching stint at Stanford University, Jordan
guided the track team to a second-place NCAA finish in 1963, and
served as head track coach of the1968 U.S. Olympic team, which won
more medals and set more records than any other U.S. team. After
retiring from coaching in 1979, Payton continued sprinting as a senior
athlete and set world records in the 100-meter dash in every age
group from 55 to 80. |
| 1994 |
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Fred Lebow (b.1932 - d.1994) is, perhaps, best recognized
as the founder and director of the world-renowned New York City Marathon,
which he directed every year since its inception in 1970 through
1993. He transformed the marathon from a local event in Central Park
with 55 finishers to the world's largest marathon with over 25,000
finishers. Lebow was also the president of the New York Road Runners
Club for 20 years, growing the group from 270 to 31,000 members.
Fred passed away in 1994 shortly after he was awarded the Emil Zatopek
Award during a ceremony which he could not attend. He was also inducted
into USA Track & Field's Hall of Fame in the same year. |
| 1995 |
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Dr. Peter Wood served as the first President of Fifty-Plus.
He is a longtime competitive runner of some distinction, and is Emeritus
Associate Director of the Stanford Center for Research in Disease
Prevention. Dr. Wood is an authority on the importance of fitness,
a world expert in the field of cholesterol research, and has authored
numerous scientific papers. A Fifty-Plus Volunteer of the Year Award
is given annually in his name to a deserving Fifty-Plus member. |
| 1996 |
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Bill Toomey Since winning the 1968 Olympic Decathlon, Bill
Toomey has continued to excel as an athlete, speaker, humanitarian
and health enthusiast. An acclaimed sports celebrity and broadcast
personality, Bill frequently addresses the nation's top firms as
an inspiring motivational speaker who espouses physical well being
through exercise and good nutrition. |
| 1997 |
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John McCarthy, as the Executive Director of the International
Health and Racquet Sports Association (IHRSA) in America, spearheaded
attention among IHRSA clubs towards the fast-growing segment of older
adult members. In so doing, he has brought the joy and benefits of
racquet sports to many senior individuals. |
| 1998 |
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Bill Rodgers is a four-time winner of both the Boston and
New York Marathons, and he is one of most beloved and successful
American distance runners of all time. He a member of USA Track & Field's
Hall of Fame, and authored the book Lifetime Running Plan.
Bill continues to compete in his 50s, and is a model for the Zatopek
Award's concept of continued devotion to fitness after peak performances
have waned. |
| 1999 |
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Joe Henderson, on the right. There are few people who have
contributed as much to the popularity and growth of the sport of
long distance running in the U.S. as Joe Henderson. As a best-selling
author, motivator, speaker, and teacher Joe has guided and inspired
unestimated numbers of distance runners at all levels. Joe has served
as an editor and noted columnist for Runner's World magazine for
many years, publishes Running Commentary (a weekly online journal
on running), and he has authored or co-authored over 20 books on
running and fitness. |
| 2000 |
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Ben Parks Coach Ben Parks is a longtime high school coach
that has provided inspiration and guidance for numerous youth athletic
programs on the San Francisco Peninsula. Until recently, Coach Parks
celebrated his birthdays by running one mile on the track for each
year of his age. He has also led the traditional warm-up routine
at the Annual Fifty-Plus 8K Run for many years. |
| 2001 |
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Kathrine Switzer is most famous for breaking the female
gender barrier at the 1967 Boston Marathon, inspiring numerous women
to take up the sport. Today, as creator and Program Director of the
Avon Women's Global Running Circuit, she oversees an innovative worldwide
running and walking series that has involved millions of women. She
also authored Running and Walking for Women Over 40. A true
pioneer in the world of running, Kathrine is the first female recipient
of the Emil Zatopek Award. |
| 2002 |
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Denis Waitley is a noted keynote speaker, productivity consultant,
and author of The Psychology of Winning, the all-time best
selling program on personal and professional excellence. He has consulted
and counseled leaders in every field from "Fortune 500" top
executives to managers of multinational corporations, NASA astronauts
and Superbowl and Olympic champions. His many achievements include
being voted "Outstanding Speaker of 2000 in Commerce and Industry" by
Toastmasters International and "Platform Speaker of the Year" by
the Sales & Marketing Executives Association and inducted into
the International Speakers’ Hall of Fame. He is a former president
of the Jonas Salk Foundation and former Chairman of Psychology on
the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Council He will
speak on "The Psychology of Winning." |
| 2003 |
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Anne Cribbs, President of the Bay Area Organizing Committee
for her effort to bring the 2012 Summer Olympics to the Bay Area
and former Olympic swimmer. Ann Cribbs is now the Managing Director
of Fifty-Plus Lifelong Fitness. |
| 2004 |
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Yoshihiro Uchida is recognized both nationally
and internationally for his efforts in promoting the sport of Judo.
He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1986 by the Emperor
of Japan. Yosh has been coaching the San Jose State University Judo
Team since 1946 where he began as an instructor in Physical Education
and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1971. Coach Uchida is
actively involved in furthering the sport of Judo. In 2003, the San
Jose State University Judo team won its 39th National Collegiate
Judo Championship Tournament. His team holds the record for greatest
number of National Championships in American Collegiate Sports. San
Jose State University dedicated the Spartan Complex, Yoshihiro Uchida
Hall, in Mr. Uchida's honor in 1997 (now known as Uchida Hall). And,
he also serves as Director of the United States Olympic Committee. |
| 2005 |
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Sir Roger Bannister, 75, is recognized worldwide
as the first runner to break four minutes in the mile, a barrier
once considered insurmountable. Remarkably, Bannister prepared for
his sub-four achievement while enrolled as a full-time medical student
at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in Paddington, allowing him
to train only 45 minutes a day. After completing his studies, he
entered clinical practice as a neurologist and later devoted full
time to medical research. Today, Sir Roger Bannister is Director
of the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London and a trustee-delegate
of St. Mary's Hospital Medical School. Since 1990 he has also been
Chairman of the Editorial Board of the journal Clinical Autonomic
Research and is the editor of Autonomic Failure, a textbook on clinical
disorders of the autonomic nervous system. Dr. Bannister was knighted
by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975. |
| 2006 |
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Peggy Fleming, Olympic Gold Medal Winner at
the 1998 Winter Games. The 1968 Winter Games were the first to
be broadcast live and in color, and the enduring image is Peggy's
free-skating program, which won her the Gold Medal by 88.2 points
over her closest competitor. It would be the only Gold Medal the
United States brought home from Grenoble. In 1999, Peggy was honored
at the Sports Illustrated 20th Century Awards as one of seven "Athletes
Who Changed the Game." The
others included Arnold Palmer, Billie Jean King, and Jackie Robinson.
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| 2007 |
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Eva Auchincloss, Associate Publisher of a women's
sports publishing company and Founding Executive Director of the
Women's Sports Foundation, as well as a Principal of Auchincloss & Turner.
She was a delegate to the U.S. Olympic Committee and has served on
numerous boards, including the Foundation of the California Bar Association,
Junior League, Lifeplan Center, Lifeprint Career Center, and the
International Diplomacy Council of San Francisco. She holds a B.A.
from Vassar College. |
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