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Aug 1908

Olympics skipped to care for Mom

Jonathon

CBC TV, covering Olympic High Jumping, reported two-time medallist Mark Boswell skipped the Olympics to care for his Mom.

In the movie “A Star is Born”, Judy Garland’s character was grieving her husband and decided not to go to the Academy Awards, until a friend said “He lived for you – if you don’t go out, it’s like he never lived”.

Nonetheless, I am thinking somewhat like Mark. I ought to put Mom in a home – she’d get at least as much stimulation, through at least as many different activities. She should be happier there than here. It’s possible she would, if it also makes her a new person. She could be in a luxury resort with professional, fun and truly caring helpers, but if they are pro’s, not “real” friends, she would seem to be in hell.

I found this article about Mark Boswell from last year, excerpts of which are below:

CHANGING ROLES: Ailing mother first for track star

High jumper Mark Boswell puts career on the backburner to care for his biggest fan

It’s a common enough story in the world of sports: devoted parent sacrifices everything so their child can live the dream.

In the case of high jumper Mark Boswell, the story takes a rare twist as an athlete puts his career on the backburner to help care for his ailing mother.

Norma Boswell suffered a heart attack and stroke triggered by a brain aneurysm in February of 2006. A fiercely independent woman who raised five children on her own, she now struggles to get around using a cane. Her memory was significantly affected, making it impossible to live on her own.

She was always her son’s rock. Now, he’s had to become hers.

Norma lives with Mark, his girlfriend Chantelle and their three children in their Brampton home.

Sitting in the airy dining room with her son, she spoke about fears of being a burden to her youngest child.

…

“It’s a lot of stuff to handle for me and my girlfriend. But the hardest thing to ever do is to put your mom in a home. You worry so much about her. You love her so much. This is who she has. It’s us. I don’t care, man, it’s my mother. Whatever the situation is, she’s first.”

Boswell would normally have competed for Canada at the recently completed world championships in Japan. The championships were the first he’s missed in a decade – he’s a rare breed in this country, a two-time worlds medallist.

Ankle surgery in April was the main reason he didn’t get there. His devotion to his mom has also consumed much time and energy.

…

From the start of his career, Boswell spoke fondly of his mother’s influence, how she had sacrificed so much as a young woman in leaving Jamaica for Canada to create a better life for her children.

…

Her memory isn’t what it once was, but some things don’t fade, like the daily trips to the hospital to visit Mark after he was born prematurely at six months, two weeks and battled pneumonia.

“Dear God, what you went through,” she says to her son. “You were put on this earth to be something.”

Boswell has been one of Canada finest track and field athletes, winning medals at every major event outside the Olympics, often under very difficult circumstances.

He won bronze at the 2003 worlds in France while competing in immense pain after rolling his ankle in qualifying. He was fourth two years ago at the Helsinki worlds, competing against doctor’s orders because he was so ill. He was later diagnosed with a blood infection.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, came just two weeks after his mother had undergone brain surgery. He hadn’t trained at all because he’d been at the hospital with her every day. In a telephone call just before the competition, he heard her speak for the first time since the aneurysm.

“It floored me to hear my mom say my name,” says Boswell, who went on to win gold.