by Mary Margaret O'Leary
Conventional wisdom would assume that you slow down when you age, but Bruce Conner has disproven that notion entirely. At 53, Bruce Conner is the oldest man ever to qualify for the Olympic Trials in speed skating. He is faster, stronger and healthier than he has ever been in his entire life and is achieving more today in his sport than he probably ever imagined. Conner holds three world records for his age group, the World Sprint Championship, and perhaps most important is a seriously positive mind-set that is inspiring those familiar with his story all over the world.
Conner who grew up in suburban Chicago in the town of Morton Grove, began skating in 1968, when he was 12 years old. He and his two brothers (one of whom is Bart Conner, U.S. Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics) often skated at the outdoor rink close to their home. At 19, Conner competed in the U.S. Trials before the 1976 Olympics and after failing to qualify for the team “retired” from the sport entirely. Conner earned his commercial pilot lesson and focused on his family before returning to the ice three-decades later.
When asked if he ever envisioned himself returning to the sport, Conner simply replied no. It was in 1988 on a trip to Calgary, when Conner first realized how much his soul missed the sport. The first ever indoor one-quarter mile, oval track had just been constructed for the 1988 Winter Olympics. “I walked into the rink and I thought this is Mecca, I’ve got to figure out a way to get back here.” It wouldn’t be until 1996 at age 40, that Conner finally returned to the sport he is so passionate about. Picking up where he left off with a renewed feeling of self-worth, Conner began training intensely in the spring of 2005 for the trails that December, which ultimately led him to qualify for the 2006 games. Conner’s determination landed him eligibility in the Olympic Trials at age 49 and 53. His philosophy is to “let age enhance your dreams, rather than define them.” And his message to everyone is clear—do not self-limit yourself!
“You can achieve almost anything if you break your barriers down,” says Conner. “Just this morning I could have thought its cold outside and it is seventy-five miles to the rink. I chose not to accept that as a barrier, if it was an issue I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
People who know Bruce are using him as motivation to achieve their own goals. Bruce’s neighbor recently told him he had decided he was going to do the triathlon he had been putting off for the past few years. On a recent skating trip in Germany for the World Championship, the Italian coach approached Conner asking if he was from Chicago. When Conner told him that he was, the coach proceeded to let him know that they were familiar with him in Italy. He had watched Conner qualify for the Olympic Trials in 2006, and was very proud of what he was doing for Master skaters (over thirty years old), by setting the bar so high. Another similar story is of a photographer who was assigned to take pictures of Bruce for a story. He became so inspired by Conner’s journey that he told him he would be picking up his violin that had been sitting in the corner for ten years.
Conner who was in Salt Lake City, Utah competing in Phase 2 of the U.S. Olympic Trials this past December, returned having skated faster than he did four years ago at the trials. Conner skated his second and fourth fastest times ever in the 500m. Although, he will not be representing the U.S. in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, he will be watching and sends his best. Conner says he feels privileged to share the ice with such hard working, talented athletes.
Today Bruce Conner is a Masters World Speed Skating Champion, the Captain of a B-747 aircraft, a motivational speaker, an author, but most notably, a man who refused to let obstacles hold him back. Conner’s next stop will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the Second World Masters Sprint Games, this February 6th-7th.
4 Questions with Bruce:
Q: What’s different today in your philosophy than at 19?
A: The philosophy back then was that in order to skate faster you had to push harder on the ice. That is really counter-productive because you trash your legs. I didn’t know anything about tapering then. I’ve learned the physiology of it. I’m Irish, I can be hard-headed, I need to keep trying things out until I figure out what works best for me.
Q: Why speed skating?
A: I love it. There is something in it that feeds me. You have to like pain, but for me it’s important to know how far I can push myself. I love to go fast. I love the technical aspect of it. I love to work on my motor. The physical conditioning and the hundreds of decisions I make per day that directly affect my performance make it worth it.
Q: How do you feel on the ice?
A: I’m never as exposed as I am when I’m on the ice. If my head’s not right, if my body isn’t where it needs to be, if I’m not focused, if I’m not psychologically, spiritually, emotionally where I need to be, its over. We get such tremendous feedback on the ice.
Q: What’s your philosophy today?
A: You’re never too old. If you have a passion for something and you do the work you can achieve almost anything. Know that you’re worth it.
Look for Bruce’s book Faster at Fifty Plus soon and check out his website www.brucewconner.com for upcoming events and information.
