[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 126 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S10781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO UNCLE HAROLD

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, if one is going to boast on the Senate 
floor, I assume I can be forgiven for boasting about close relatives.
  My story is about my Uncle Harold--Harold Bach to be exact.
  I called Harold last week and asked him what he had been doing. He 
said he had just gotten back from Minnesota. I asked, ``What were you 
doing there?'' He said, ``Well I was running in the Senior Olympics 
events.''
  I guess it is not too unusual to have someone tell you that they are 
engaged in some track and field events. But my uncle is 87 years old. I 
said, ``Harold, what events did you enter?'' He said, ``I ran in the 50 
meter, the 100 meter and the 200 meter.'' I asked, ``How did you do?'' 
Harold said, ``I won three medals--a gold, a silver and a bronze.''
  It wasn't news to me to hear that my uncle was running.
  At age 72 Harold went to the Prairie Rose Games in North Dakota and 
just as a lark he entered races for age 70 and above. He easily won all 
three races that he entered. Then he decided, you know--I must have a 
talent here. It appears I can run faster than people my age. So he 
started running in other States. He ran in the Minnesota Senior 
Olympics, he ran in the South Dakota Senior Olympics, and then he was 
in Arizona and California.
  He never stopped running. He has now won 100 medals in Senior 
Olympics events across the country. At age 87, I think he is still 
angling for more victories.
  So I am announcing today that I am going to award my Uncle Harold a 
certificate, designating him as the oldest, fastest runner in our 
State's history. No, I have not done any research to demonstrate that, 
but I am sure it must be true. And besides, he's my uncle.
  The message in having an 87-year-old uncle that runs the 100 meter 
dash in under 20 seconds is inspiring to me, and I hope, to everyone 
else. It is a message that if you don't know what you can't do, maybe 
you won't be surprised if you find out you can do it, even if others 
think it is improbable.
  None of us should be limited by our notions of what is impossible. My 
Uncle Harold has described what is possible for him by trying--and 
succeeding. It is a lesson that many of us should learn over and over 
again. Defeat is not about trying and failing. Defeat is failing to 
try. And when my uncle determined that he was faster than anybody his 
age, he got himself a pair of running shoes and filled his car with 
gas. Fifteen years later he has won 100 track and field medals.
  So, hats off to my Uncle Harold! His accomplishments in Senior 
Olympics events are impressive and inspiring.

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