Article archive / December 1, 2009
Originally published: . Volume 1, No. 4. Source pages: 11.
It’s amazing what you uncover when talking to psychologists. While discussing Robert Baker’s book (see “Bookshelf,” PT3) he shared another aspect of his life that inspired this column about what we do in our spare time.
Things happened to Dr. Robert Baker around the 50-year mark. He took to writing about meta- physical mysteries in life but he also became something of a super star in Masters’ track and field.
Robert grew up in rural north Louisiana, where in high school, his track was a cow pasture. He said in an interview with National Masters News, “I liked track and constructed my own high jump/pole vault pit, mostly a hole in the ground with some saw dust from the local mill, and an oval running area of no particular length.” In college he competed in intramural and fraternity competitions, mostly in sprints and jumps. But he was not all that serious about his health. When he reached his fifties, he turned his considerable energies to Master’s level Track and Field competition, and has never looked back.
Dr. Robert Baker is now the current national decathlon champion. He has won 27 national championships in mutli-events or individual events. He is also the current national outdoor pentathlon champion. He’s won the national outdoor 300 meters hurdles championship. He competes at the national level but also the international level. He’s won the bronze metal in the 2003 World Championship in the decathlon.
Robert wins just about every year he participates, racking up more titles, anytime he is not nursing an injury. But to put this in perspective for the rest of us, I asked him what a decathlon actually entails? “It is a two-day event,” he said. “Ten events, just like the Olympic decathlon.” The events are the 100 meters, the long jump, the shot put, the high jump, and the 400 meters.” That’s the first day. On the second day he competes in the hurdles, the discus, the pole vault, the javelin, and the 1500 meters.
He ‘s had a few injuries however, five knee surgeries, some torn cartilage, hamstring injuries, requiring that he miss some events, particularly in Spain and Italy. But the next World Championship is in 2011 in Sacramento, California and he’s expected to be in good form.
Go get’em tiger.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.