EASTON, Pa.(www.lafayette.edu), November 7, 2007 — The javelin used to be the best event for Richard Bergenback ’48. In fact, the former Lafayette record holder says that he was invincible in it. But slightly more than a decade ago, his shoulder on his throwing arm gave out. Instead of giving up his near-lifelong pursuit of perfection in the sport, Bergenback—now 80 years old—made a not-so-simple adjustment.
“I’ve thrown the javelin since I was 15 years old,” says Bergenback, who lives in Chattanooga, Tenn. “When I was 69 years old, I started getting beat by guys who weren’t that good. My shoulder gave out and I just couldn’t do it anymore. But, I used to play basketball and I could dribble and shoot lefty. So I decided to practice and I started throwing with my left hand.”
Bergenback—who retired in 2002 after 34 years as professor of geology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga—participates in shot put, discus, javelin, and the hammer throw in five or six meets each year, including the Senior Games and Masters Track and Field events.
Among his countless trophies and medals, Bergenback finished second in the very first National Masters Track and Field Championships, in which he participated when he was 41. And, in 1989, he earned the gold medal in the hammer throw for the 60-64 age group at the Senior Games National Championships.
As he has aged, Bergenback has refined his training regimen. He works out on the practice football field of a local high school. His sessions begin at 7 a.m. so he can beat the afternoon heat. These days, it takes him three or four days to recover from a good workout.
“When you get older you lose your strength and lose your quickness,” he explains. “I work on technique. I watch video and try and emulate the techniques. I do parts of the javelin throw every other day. Right now I am working on the run-up.”
Athletics always have been a big part of Bergenback’s life. At Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pa., he lettered in football, wrestling, and track and field, and earned a football scholarship to Lafayette. Once a standout lineman, a knee injury in his junior year ended his football career, but his track and field career remained alive and well. So what drives him to compete into his 80s?
“It’s something that I have had success with, so I just stayed with it,” he laughs.
The myriad trophies and medals he has earned throughout his athletic career are proof that Bergenback is not joking.
