Taranaki Holds Fond Memories for Trust Founder

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Taranaki Holds Fond Memories for Halberg Trust Founder

Auckland, 28 September, 2010:

There was a time when Sir Murray Halberg, who ran into Olympic history at the 1960 Rome Olympics, thought a trip down from Auckland to compete at Inglewood was “a pretty special occasion.”

The Halberg Trust founder, who will share the stage with New Zealand’s latest Olympic gold medal winner Adam Hall at the Westpac Halberg Celebrity Sporting function in New Plymouth on Thursday, recalls making what he thought was a long trip in those days, down to “what I’m sure they used to call ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ which involved all kinds of sporting endeavour.”

Sir Murray says he used to go down with a group of fellow Auckland athletes on several occasions during the 1950s, well before he had any thoughts about the ‘golden glory’ which was to come his way in the 5000m final at Rome—50 years ago this month.

“So it will be good to get back to Taranaki this week. I’m looking forward to it very much.”

Sir Murray is also looking forward to sharing 50 years of Olympic gold medal history with 21-year-old Hall, winner of the men’s standing slalom at the winter Paralympics in Vancouver earlier this year. “I’m looking forward to meeting him. He is clearly an outstanding young man.”

And while much of the attention of next month’s Commonwealth games in Delhi is focussed on the negative, mainly around the problems with the facilities in the athlete’s village and the surrounding infrastructure, Sir Murray has nothing but “wonderful memories” of his Commonwealth Games experiences.

“Those early games I went to in Vancouver, Cardiff and Perth were truly stunning and far more enjoyable for us athletes than the rough and tumble of the Olympics. And I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”

The New Plymouth lunch is one of six Westpac Celebrity Sporting events around the country, planned by the Halberg Trust, linking together 50 years of gold medal success. Other centres hosting the Celebrity Sporting lunches are Invercargill, 28 October and Christchurch, 26 November, with a breakfast in Hamilton on October 7. Golf events will be staged in Queenstown and Wellington in the New Year.

It was on September 2 in 1960 when Sir Murray shared his golden afternoon with Sir Peter Snell, Snell winning first in the 800m final, followed 45 minutes later by Sir Murray who proved too strong for a high class field in the 5000m final.

Tickets to the Westpac Halberg Celebrity Sporting function in New Plymouth on Thursday at $60 each are still available. To book tickets, contact the Halberg Trust on 0800 HALBERG or office@halberg.co.nz.

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