Ex-Athletic Champion

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10314, 25 January 1927, Page 9

Ex-Athletic Champion

MR. W. A. LOW’S RECORD

Mr. W. A. Low, who is now visiting Gisborne in connection with the coming season of the Josfeph Cunningham Mew English Comedy Company, takes a keen interest in amateur athletics, and is the travelling representative of the N.Z. Olympic Council, .and in that capacity last week he witnessed a number of “tryouts” at Dannevirke. In his. time Mr. Low was one of the foremost amateur athletes in NeW Zealand, and in the course of a chat yesterday with a “Gisborne Times” representative, it was seen that he is still as enthusiastic over the-sport as lie was when ho was an active participant on the eye' ling and running track. Mr. Low’s athletic record would be hard to excel by any present-day amateur athlete. During his career he competed in 61 events, securing 35 lirsts, 10 seconds and 7 thirds, being unplaced on only 7 nine occasions. Mr. Low stated that his first appearance in the athletic world was made on the old high bicycle (52 inch) in 1888, when lie won a mile race. He won quite a number of bicycle laces, finally discarding this branch of sport after in 1891' winning from scratch the one, three and- five mile bicycla races all on the same day. His running career commenced in earnest in Dunedin in December 1892, when ho won his first three races from small starts. 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards' Ladies’ Bracelet events. Mr. Low said that after that he was always on the scratch mark. At the New Zealand championship meeting, 1893, lie ran two close seconds*in the 250 yards. and 440 yards championships, being beaten_by L. IV.. Harley 7 (Christchurch) and N. L. Gurr (Wellington) respectively. Mr. Low stated that at the time he was credited with using bad judgment, which lost him the race. “It was a great disap-, pcintment,” he said, ‘‘but I made amends for this disappointment by winning the quarter and half-mile championships for the following three years in succession.” - I.n .reply to a question as to when lie first represented New Zealand at an Australasian championship meeting. Mr. Low said he was a member of”the New Zealand team which competed, at the first Australasian championships in Melbourne in 1893. H;s best performance was a second in the half-mile championship. The members of this first New Zealand team .were T. 13. O'Connor, D. Matson, N. L. Gurr, W. J. Mofr, W. A. Low and G. Galloway and \Y. Bnlcli. Mr. E. Webb, of Christchurch, was manager. •It is just thirty years since Mr. Low concluded his athletic career at the Australasian championship meeting held in Christchurch, January 7 1896. He won. the quarter-mile championship in the excellent time or 51 l-sscc, beating Campbell (Queensland). Cartwright (New South Wales) and Reeves (New Zealand). When no longer a competitor himself, Mr. Low still took a keen interest in the game and was instrumen- 1 tal in organising athletics in ellington. being one of the prime, movers in boxxnw and cross-country running. Mr. Low entered the theatrical profession in 1902 and was thereby compelled to i-eiiiH|uish his positions on (.he various bodies with which he was associated. On the of the N.Z. Olvnipic Council, however, Mr. Low. as stated previously, was appointed travelling representative of that bodv. In that capacity lie has done valuable work in connection with the formation of branches in various towns. It was through Mr. v Low s advocacy and bis address to representatives of athletic bodies in Gisborne that a branch was formed here some weeks aeo. and in a brief period when rules, etc., are received from the naront body, should be a In ewire” institution in Poverty Bay.

Mr. Low advises ah young men and o-irls to take up athletics as the sport Ts fine, dean and healthy and would add rears to .one’s life. ‘Training is the powerful factor m the game, he said, “and a well trained man will always heat a half-trained man. 1 attribute my successes mainly to my systematic method of training as L often heat men who were probably hotter runners than I was. Mr. Low is at present a life member of the Dunedin Athletic Club and the Wellington Harriers, being president v.nd the-founder of the latter club.