Just under a year ago I wrote this piece about Craig Virgin, one of America’s top distance runners. He was recently featured in a piece by the NCAA for his accomplishments as a runner and for his perseverance through congenital illness as a child and coming through adversity following his career. A writer is working on his biography and is seeking photos of Craig Virgin from the late 1970s through the 1980s. If you have any such content, contact Randy Sharer at rsharer@aol.com.
By Christopher Cudworth
During the Sochi Winter Olympics, three-time Olympian American distance runner Craig Virgin was interviewed on NPR for his perspectives about the 1980 boycott of the Soviet Olympics by the United States. Virgin’s lucid, compelling observations about the futility of that boycott in terms of world politics has been validated by the political situation in Ukraine following the Winter Olympics. Russia’s move into Crimea has driven futile protests in the West. It was clear back in 1980 that the Olympics were a poor tool for nationalistic policies, and they remain so today.
Virgin’s lost opportunity to represent the United States at the peak of his athletic career had personal costs that continue to resonate today. The lost opportunity to earn an Olympic medal damages an athlete’s value as a personal brand on the marketing front. There were hundreds of other athletes who similarly lost that opportunity in the…
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Thanks for your help with Randy, Chris. I am posting a request from me for pictures later this week on my FB page.. I know I always look for biographies that have lots of photos to illustrate the story. Ideally, we want 1-2 pictures for every chapter. Maybe more at the end. Craig