Press
Dedication Defines 2007 USG Athletes of the Year
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
by Michael Nielson
If there was one word to describe both of the 2007 Utah Summer Games athletes of the year, it would be dedication.
Alice Pust, of Santaquin, was named the Female Athlete of the Year after she won four gold medals in cycling despite suffering a stroke only months before the Summer Games.
David Litchford, of American Fork, found success in the discus and the shot put despite a lifetime handicap, and was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year.
Pust's accomplishments were also noticed on the national level. She was also selected as the National Congress of State Games Female Athlete of the Year.
Steve Ahlgreen, USG public relations, said Pust's award was a tribute to her and to the Utah Summer Games.
"She was selected from the best athletes of the 40 states that conduct summer games," Ahlgreen said. "It's a great honor. To be chosen out of that is a great representation of Utah."
Pust was surprised by the award, saying the recognition represents an entirely new experience.
"I didn't even know my name had been turned in, it was just a shock," she said. "It scares me to death because that's people from 40 states, and they all voted for me. But I'm grateful for the honor.
"It took me a day or two to take it all in,” she continued. “This just means so much to me."
However, Pust's story doesn't start this year.
"I began cycling when I was 48," Pust said. "My husband was the one who wanted to start riding. I didn't take to it right away. It took me a while to learn to ride."
Still, one summer later, Pust and her husband decided to test their new-found hobby by entering in the Utah Summer Games.
Pust fit right in, medaling in her first attempt and making many friends along the way.
"Everyone was so kind to me," she said. "The Summer Games are a great place to learn. There is not a lot of pressure. It's such a friendly atmosphere."
Pust's friendships continued to grow, as did her medal count.
She said, "I have so many medals I don't even know what to do with them."
Then, with Pust already registered for her 16th Summer Games, she encountered another new trial.
"I had a stroke," she said. "My doctor told me I couldn't compete."
Initially, she intended on keeping her doctor's orders, but the lure of the Games was too strong.
"I just had to go see everybody," Pust said. "I had some friends call and say they had some room for me in their hotel, so I just came down."
Of course, attending the Games wasn't enough, and Pust mounted her bicycle to ride her way to gold medals in the time trial, criterium, road race and, or course, omnium.
"I love it," Pust said of the Games. "It's not just the riding, it's the people I come in contact with. I have so many really good friends."
And it is those friends that may be the most important part of Pust's success.
"They have cheered me on so much," she said. "No one gets cheered on like me. I don't know how you could keep me away."
Pust will be honored at a national conference Sept. 28 in Lincoln, Neb.
Litchford's story also started many years ago, when he was injured as a young boy.
"When I was nine, I got my right leg caught in a corn chopper," Litchford said.
The injuries was extensive, damaging nerves and tendons and stopping the growth of the leg. The ankle bones were fused, leaving Litchford with, at best, limited use of his right leg.
Litchford tried to stay involved in athletics, joining high school sports teams at his small high school. He never had much success, though, and eventually sports faded from his life.
Until, that is, his son Daniel began competing with the American Fork High School track team. Daniel threw the discus and shot put, and became convinced that his father could do the same.
Daniel, who was receiving personal instruction from former Olympian L. Jay Sylvester, would coach his father after track practice.
"L. Jay would teach my son and he would teach me," David Litchford said.
However, one problem remained: David Litchford could not spin, a strategy used by most throwers to get their entire body involved in the effort.
"I would just stand in one place and heave the discus," he said. "Just stand and throw the shot put."
That wasn't a problem for long, though, as Litchford began visiting the weight room with his son.
"I would focus on strengthening my upper body so I could throw farther," he said. "It was good to finally get involved in something physical.
Eventually, Litchford was ready to give his new skills a test, and he entered in the Utah Summer Games.
For many years, the mantra of the Summer Games has been "Raise the Bar," a mantra that seems to fit Litchford's USG experience very well.
"In the Games, I surprised myself by throwing the farthest I've ever thrown," he said.
Litchford threw the shot put 33 feet and 7 inches, earning him a bronze medal in the men's master's division. He threw the discus 105 feet and 1 inch, for which he claimed his first-ever gold medal.
"Before this, I never received a plaque, a trophy or a medal of any kind for athletics," Litchford said.
His accomplishment was further recognized when the Utah Summer Games organizers selected him as the 2007 Male Athlete of the Year.
"This has just been such a neat experience," he said. "Especially for someone who has never had much athletic accomplishments."
While the medals and the recognition are not soon to be forgotten, neither was Litchford's favorite USG memory.
"The gold medal was not as important as the experience I had with my son," he said.
From the www.cedarcityreview.com
