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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2016-11-16, Page 7Wednesday, November 16, 2016 • Huron Expositor 7 Way too many near -death experiences for extreme fitness racer Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor From missing Thailand just hours after one the world's deadliest tsunami disasters ravaged the coun- try, to being a mere 300 feet away from the explosion of the Boston Marathon bomb- ing, long-time Seaforth native Jim Scott has had some close calls with the Grim Reaper during his amateur career in extreme racing. For Scott, it's a way of life though and little will keep him from competing. He says he's "addicted" to it. Everyday he wakes at sun- rise and travels with his wife, Jill, to the local YMCA in Owen Sound to prepare for the next gruelling competi- tion, whatever it may be. Sometimes it's a triathlon. Other times it's a 26 -mile - plus run. Once it was a 2.4 -mile swim, 180 -km bicycle trek and a 42 -km long distance run, which he completed in under 12 hours with no breaks -not too shabby for a 53 -year-old elementary teacher. That was the Subaru IRONMAN last August in B.C. "I felt good about that," Scott said over the phone Nov 8 regarding the comple- tion of the race. "I wasn't going to do [an IRONMAN] because the distances are pretty extreme and actually kind of stupid:' Though being three months ago, Scott admits he is still, "feeling the repercus- sions" from it. But he says he doesn't regret it. These races that push his body to its limit come with satisfying results; however, he has also had some misadventures along the way. A prime example was on April 15, 2013, at the Bos- ton Marathon, renowned as the oldest annual race of its kind. Scott and his wife were in top-notch shape and had just completed the long distance course in exceptional time. Usually after finishing a race of this magnitude a celebratory beer is in order. This time, however, the couple decided to head to the fin- ish line on Bolyston Street to watch the rest of the run- ners before having a cold one. "I had never heard so many sirens in my life. It was just crazy. There were helicopters, ambulances and police cars," Jim Scott said, describing the scene surrounding the double bombings that killed three and injured 264 people. "It was chaotic. Police were shoeing people off the street. We just wanted to get out of town." Then the worst happened. Scott said he heard a loud bang, which at first he thought must have been a celebratory salute, given the fact there was such a large military presence. Then came the second explosion, shattering his hopeful and naive predic- tions. The racers were under attack. The loud sound of two pressure - cooker bombs stuffed with shrapnel could be heard from miles away. Only a couple hundred meters away, Scott, his wife and friends stood motionless for a brief moment, before darting to their hotel that was close by. "I had never heard so many sirens in my life. It was just crazy. There were helicopters, ambulances and police cars," Scott said, describing the scene sur- rounding the double bomb- ings that killed three and injured 264 people. "It was chaotic. Police were shoe- ing people off the street. We just wanted to get out of town." Runners were jumping over barricades. The stench of the bomb filled the air, said Scott. "I think everybody was thinking of when the next bomb was going to go off," he said. Witnessing the bombs, which were 12 seconds apart according to CNN, and what US President Barack Obama called an "act of terrorism," Scott decided to take part in the run the following year. "I think a lot of people wanted to run it again, just to show that the marathon goes on," Scott said. "The great tradition goes on without being afraid of terrorism" Scott will be the first to admit that he has not had a lot of good fortune when it comes to big races. The year previous, Scott qualified for the ING New York Marathon and the mis- fortune that time came from Mother Nature, as the post - tropical cyclone known as Hurricane Sandy ripped through the east coast of the U.S. and the race was cancelled. "I have not had a lot of luck with big races," said Scott, who still makes appearances to the Seaforth area to see family and friends. What he considers ill fated could also be looked at as a blessing because no matter what happens in these disas- ters, he seems to just miss the devastation, sometimes only by hours in the case of the earthquake that devas- tated Thailand. The second strongest earthquake ever docu- mented blasted the region near Sumatra, Indonesia, resulting in a massive tsu- nami that inflicted havoc all across the coastline. Massive 100 -foot waves belted the nation causing over 230,000 deaths. Hours later, Scott and his wife, both teachers on a deferred leave, were a couple days into their trip around the world with their children. From Nepal to the mangled country of Thailand the family departed. "It was pretty amazing, the way they were dealing with it was pretty well," commented Scott. "I found that North America was much more agitated about it" "The Thai view it as life goes on:' They were not any where near the coast line, though a couple of the places they had planned on traveling to were completely wiped out and as a substitute the family decided to travel to other parts of the nation. Scott said not only the fatalities but also the loss of business from thousands of cancellations crushed numerous hotel employees. "They thought the whole country was flooded. It was kind of like when SARS hit Canada, everybody didn't want to come," Scott said. With a laugh, Scott joked, "I don't think people want to travel with us because we've had a lot of catastrophes." "We seem to be lucky, but we have had some close (occurrences):' It seems as if Scott is a walking, talking four-leaf clover. Nevertheless, there was one time he said his luck had run out. It was roughly eight years ago, when riding his bike near Sauble Beach, in a glimpse, the ground was taken from under him. The air whisked across his face and out of nowhere a pickup truck shotout in front of him, cut- ting Scott off and striking his bike. He broke seven ribs, punc- tured his lung, and messed up his shoulder. These numerous events that Scott has survived would leave most hiding in ea orthhuronex 1 ositor.co Postmedia file photo Jim Scott, a 53 -year-old raised in Seaforth witnessed the Boston Marathon Massacres first hand. He has had some unusual incidents in his long career of running and other physical activities. their house until they grow old but not Scott, he's not your average Jim, he just keeps on pedalling, running or swimming. Next spring he plans to compete again in the Boston Marathon. And he's sizing up a race that mirrors how he lives life: The Canadian Death Race. The website describes Scott perfectly: "Elite racers come to the Canadian Rock- ies to cheat death." That shouldn't be too dif- ficult of a task. The 125 -km excruciating passage launches and fin- ishes on a roughly 4,200 - foot plateau, passes through three mountain summits with a major river crossing at a massive canyon. No matter what this race entails, with all that Scott has endured and witnessed, this feat seems like a walk in the park. Iisron-Perth Children's Aid Society i .fl rr alit! Yew a.1.+•C 3a-.wd ee=r .•T {SA V+rra:Nii Pr -P11272011 .! + H Cl*CI 419 nu bow Lowe Divh'Dual=: I& Y: The Huron -Perth Children's Aid Society is seeking potential community based Board members from the two counties with a variety of skills, backgrounds and experience that are over the age of 18 and who are able to commit to a three year term. Potential members of the Board of Directors are volunteers who can support the Vision, Mission and Values of the Society, are interested in advocating for the needs of children, and are committed to assisting the Society in its efforts to provide quality services for the children and families in Huron and Perth Counties. Interested persons are invited to contact Angela Simpson at 519-271-5290 ext. 2398 or visit the agency website at www.h-ocas.cd for more information regarding the application process. Application deadline is December 16, 2016 Our Vision is: SAFE CHILDREN. CONFIDENT YOUTH. RESILIENT ADULTS. Our Mission is: To advocate for and protect children's rights; to support and strengthen families; and to be leaders for positive change in our community