Floyd Patterson epitomized the value of sports to the individual
I first wrote this piece on boxer Floyd Patterson in September of 2019 and feel his story epitomizes what sports can do for an individual and in that sense for society and bears repeating:
Floyd Patterson was born in North Carolina in 1935. Amid the Great Depression, his father moved the family to New York City. Floyd’s father worked hard, but the family was poor. Floyd was a quiet, sensitive boy who was deeply hurt by the daily assault poverty brings to a person’s dignity. As a result, he became sullen, withdrawn, and a truant.
At age 10, he was sent to the Wiltwyck School for boys in Esopus. Wiltwyck had an equality to it where everyone was in the same boat. Patterson thrived there. He learned to read and picked up boxing gloves for the first time.
At age 12, he returned to Bedford-Stuyvesant and attended public school. Then, at age 14, he walked into the Gramercy Gym and came under the tutelage of boxing manager and trainer Cus D’Amato. By 16, Patterson wanted to turn professional to help support his family, but D’Amato wanted him to box in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He won the gold medal in the middleweight division at the Olympics by recording five knockouts in five bouts.
After the Olympics, Patterson turned pro. His first fight netted him $300, and he spent it on a refrigerator and TV for his family. Patterson continued to fight and make a name for himself. In 1956, Rocky Marciano retired as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. With the title vacant, the heavyweight division underwent an elimination process, and in 1959 Floyd was matched against Archie Moore for the title. Patterson won and became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at age 21.
In 1959 America, everyone knew who the heavyweight champion was. Patterson was now famous and hobnobbed with the biggest celebrities of the day, like singer Frank Sinatra and actress Kim Novak. Everyone wanted to be the champion’s friend.
A year later, Patterson signed to fight the number one contender, Ingemar Johansson. Patterson was the clear favorite. But, perhaps overconfident and feeling the intense racial and nationalistic pressure to win, Patterson lost in three rounds. Patterson was hit by a powerful right hand from Johansson, known as the “Hammer of Thor.” In that third round, Floyd would go down seven times.
Patterson returned to New Paltz, humiliated. The glad-handing, the phone calls, and the “friends” all disappeared.
The press criticized him for not being a real heavyweight and his “peek-aboo” style as too defensive. For a while, Patterson sank into a depression and hated Johansson for taking everything from him.
The American press loved the charismatic, flamboyant Johansson, who was depicted as a playboy with the nickname “Ingo.” The tabloids were filled with photos of Ingo and one supermodel after another.
In their rematch on
June 20, 1960, the pundits predicted another victory for the big Swede. This time, Patterson would win with a devastating K.O. in the fifth round.
At that moment, Patterson’s true character was revealed. Johansson was out cold on the canvas, undergoing convulsions with his foot twitching hideously. Patterson did not rejoice nor exalt in victory. Instead, he rushed to Johansson’s side, knelt beside him, and stroked his forehead. At that moment, he realized the frailty of hate and revenge. The noted boxing writer, Burt Sugar, wrote that Patterson had “ennobled the sport.”
Floyd emerged from the fight as the heavyweight champion, but he also emerged with his true values reinforced. In reading about Patterson’s life and talking to people who knew him, I was struck by the adversity he faced and how it made him stronger and more humane.
I met Floyd in the early 1980s while working in the Catch Us If You Can running shop in New Paltz. I was 28, and he was 47.
Boxers have always done “road work.” Running enabled fighters to build the endurance needed to go 12 to 15 rounds and keep them lean. Patterson ran five to six miles daily.
From conversations with his daughter, Jennifer, he enjoyed his running. Floyd was an athlete, and after he retired from boxing in 1972, running allowed him to maintain the fitness he expected of himself.
In 1982, the running boom was in full bloom. Everyone was jogging, and the Stockholm Marathon seized upon the idea of pitting Patterson and Johansson against each other.
The hype created great interest, and Patterson won easily with a time of 3 hours and 55 minutes.
Jennifer ran with her father and said he could have run much quicker if he had not stopped to shake countless hands.
The following year, they had a “rematch,” with the same outcome. At the 1984 New York City Marathon, at 49 years old, Floyd ran a personal best time of 3:35. Jennifer would go on to be one of the best area marathoners. In a way, it was a gift from her father.
Floyd Patterson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, in 1991. In June, as part of the induction festivities, they have a 5K race that many boxers run. That sounds like a fun road trip.
Floyd was one of the most famous athletes to ever come out of our area. Yet, over time, many have forgotten his achievements. His story is a remarkable tale of triumph over adversity and of human resilience. Patterson was a man who lived the best values of his generation. He was a man of faith who believed in hard work. He cared for his family, was loyal to his friends, and was generous to his community.
From circumstances that might have broken others, he learned and grew as a person. When others may have been seduced by fame and money, Patterson knew what was important. In many ways, he remained the quiet, reserved, sensitive boy of his youth, but as a man, he came to respect himself, and his sensitivity matured into empathy for others.
Morning Star Run for Shelter
On Saturday, October 23, the Morning Star Run for Shelter 5Kk took off from the Morning Star Christian Fellowship on East Chester Street in Kingston. The Fellowship used the run to raise money for the Darmstadt Homeless Shelter in Kingston and the Transformation Life Center rehab facility in West Park, and raised more than $1,600. The race attracted 56 participants and was a challenging 5K, running up and down all the hills between East Chester Street and Foxhall Avenue.
Tom Eickelberg of New Paltz pulled away from Ryan Kleitz to win in
18:02, with Kleitz at 18:37. Taking third place was Brandon Roman in 19:55. On the women’s side, Kate Dammer (24:07) edged out Molly Young (24:13) and Jacque Schiffer (24:22).
Race Director Bill Maynard and the Morning Star Christian Fellowship did an excellent job putting on a great event that included Tt-shirts, gift certificates, refreshments, and beautiful watercolor awards. The
race was the final event in the Onteora Runners Club (ORC) 2022 Grand Prix.
The ORC Grand Prix was a 10-race series that began with the Kiwanis Kingston Classic in April. The series included races from one mile on the track to the 13.1-mile Rosendale Runs Half Marathon. The series tests a runner’s versatility and consistency. The runners earn points at each race, and there are awards in three categories: Overall winners, 10year age groups, and Survivor awards that go to those who complete all 10 races. You must complete at least five races to be eligible for an award.
This year’s top three overall men were Ryan Kleitz (80 points), Travis Greaves (69 points), and Don Mac Thurston (64 points). The winning women were Jacque Schiffer (77 points), Pat Johnson (48 points), and Kathleen Reuben (44 points).
Age-group winners among the men were Liam Regan (20-29), Caleb Carr (30-39), Mark Hrywna (40-49), Jason Taylor (50-59), Steve Sansola (60-69), and Phil Canion (70-79). For the women, the top age group runners were Andrea Girolamo (30-39), Jessica Sunshine Smith (40-49), Jen Murray (50-59), Lori Kiernan (60-69), Karen Spinozzi (70-79) and Kathleen Balthazar (80plus).
This year, the series had six survivors: Victoria Loughlin, Michael Spang, Phil Canion, Andrea Girolamo, Kathleen Reuben, and Jacque Schiffer. More than 100 club members competed in the 2022 series, with 45 earning awards.
While the Grand Prix may have concluded, there are several upcoming races to finish the year. Circle your calendar for these upcoming events:
• Nov. 13: The After the Leaves/Josh Feldt Half Marathon. For all information on this race, visit the website zippy-reg. com.
• Nov. 24: The Kingston Turkey Trot 5K and 2-mile Fun Run/Walk.
For information on the Turkey Trot, visit the website kingstonjl.org/turkeytrot.
• Dec. 4: The 39th Reindeer Ramble 5K will take off from the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County on Broadway in Kingston. For more information on the Ramble, contact the YMCA.
• Dec. 31: Finish off the year with the legendary — some might say infamous — Viking Run 10K in Rosendale. For information on this race, visit the ORC website at onteorarunnersclub.org.
Steve Schallenkamp has been active in area running circles since 1966 as a runner, race director, volunteer and coach. He is a member of the Onteora Runners Club and president of the Shawangunk Runners Club.