If you’re looking for motivation to start running,or are looking for a way tomotivate someone to do sothen look no further than

Cyprian Dalli

.The recently appointed St.Patrick’s AC secretary met up with

Peter Barbara

totell him of his successstory.

Today I would like to introduceyou to a runner who has joinedthe ever-growing clan atSt.Patrick’s AC.So what’s new you might ask?Well, three years ago, CyprianDalli could not go up a flight of stairs without resting half way letalone run a half marathon.When he stepped on the scalesone fine day in August 2004, inhis own words “the reading toldme 170kg – which was the limitthe scales could go anyway…. Imay have weighed a few kilosmore!“Up to fifteen years of age,Cyprian used to play football,basketball, swim and do all thenormal things any teenager would do; later on, while studyinghard, devouring junk food andsweets and generally gettingmore lazy, he started to gainweight, but he kept on eating andstuffing himself.Months later, health problemsstarted to show up. Cyprian recallsthat he suffered a lot from pinchednerves near his spine and also haddeformation in his knees fromwhich he still suffers, because of his weight.At that time his son was a year oldand it started to dawn on Cyprianthat he would not be able to playwith him as he grew older, becausehe would be immobile. Thisthought spurred him on to tryagain.

► Continued On Page 3

The Shamrock

The official publication of Saint Patrick’s Athletic ClubIssue No. 40 December 2008

If Onl I Could Run!

The Search for Talent

I got talking to Carol Walsh after this year’s Zurrieq Half Marathon and was quite surprised to learn that she hadgot into the sport of athletics almost by accident.Indeed, when she was young Carol preferred to playtennis. Then one day she took part in a fun run andmanaged to win despite being faced by girls who weremore experienced then her.From then on, she remained in the sport and graduallyimproved until she became Malta’s best female longdistance runner. A position, it has to be said, that sheretains to this very day.Yet it is quite a sobering thought that someone of Walsh’sobvious abilities and who has won so much for Maltacould have been lost to the sport had it not been a hugedose of luck, that a fantastic career could have beenthwarted if it hadn’t been for that fun run.That, however, is where the good news ends. Becauseyou have to ask: how many boys and girls with thepotential for athletics have never tried their hands at itsimply because they never had that slice of luck? Howmany potential athletes are lost purely because notenough effort goes into attracting them?For all the complaining that we hear, there still is nosuitable programme aimed at identifying talent in youngkids. Unless someone starts touring schools and showingthe kids what needs to be done in the hope of findingsome who are good enough, then the development of talent will remain hit and miss.It is a sad situation, one that desperately needs to beaddressed. And if you think that is too much for a club that relies on volunteers to exist, then what about other basics? What about fun runs that only seem to attract a handful of young athletes? Surely more can be done tomake these more attractive, to get young children to run and have fun. It is at such races that you can spot peopleand see who is talented enough to develop into something special. Yet even this basic step seems to elude mostpeople

The True Face of Determinaton

I have to admit that I’d never heard of Cyprian Dalli before Peter Barbara sent in his story. Yet, in the twenty or so issues sinceI’ve been editor of the Shamrock, I don’t think that we’ve featured anything as good as that.For Cyprian is a true example. Forget the athletes who win races – even though that aspect of running is important as well – itis people like Cyprian who really move others into actually making the step to take up a sport. That he did it out of sheer determination to be thinner makes the achievement all the more noteworthy.

In an era that is dominated by fad diets and people wanting to lose weight at the switch of a button, it ishearthening to see someone like Cyprian who do so, one simple step at a time.

THE SHAMROCK

The official publication of St. Patrick’s Athletic ClubIssue No. 40 – December 2008

Editor

: Paul Grech

Sub-Editor:

Jonathan Balzan

Address:

St. Helen, Vjal ix-Xarolla, Zurrieq

Telephone:

21 640 871

Mobile:

7901 4601

E-Mail:

p_grech@di-ve.com

Website:

www.stpatricksac.info

Antoine Attard

President

Stephen Spiteri

Vice President, MAAA Representative &Shamrock Co-ordinator

Joe Zerafa

Treasurer

Rose Tabone

Officer Juniors

Lee Micallef

Public Relations

Peter Barbara

Asst. Sec & Social Events co-ordinator

Cyprian Dalli

Secretary

Paul Grima

Clubhouse Director

Roger Zammit

Technical Director

Any contributions for the next issue of theShamrock may be sent to the editor.

Paul Grech’sEditorial

The Shamrock

December ‘08

2www.stpatricksac.info

◄ Continued from Page 1

“I tried to go for a walk now andthen, but always gave up after awhile, until one day, after Easter Sunday 2005; I made up my mindto go walking daily for a wholeweek.”He went a step further and madehis plans public to all his friendsand family. After the first week hewas over the moon to havesucceeded for a whole weekalthough physically he waswrecked, but he persisted andafter three months he tried to run.“I tried to run for 100 metres and Ibecame so breathless I nearlyexploded! If only I could run! Iused to admire people who joggedpast me and yearned to be likethem, but it was just a dream atthat time “In the next months he extendedthe walks from 6km to 8km andthen 10km, trying to walk faster each time. That summer CyprianDalli made a momentous decision;he decided he would take part inthe Malta Half Marathon thefollowing year.He changed his diet and whittleddown his weight to 155kg and wasnow walking faster and further than ever.His target was simply to walk thewhole distance and finish, comewhat may and finish he did, after 2:46: 49. Which was no mean featconsidering that a year before hecould only cover 3 km in an hour.During the year 2006, Cyprianstarted to jog and starting from 2km he gradually moved up to 12km shedding weight all the timeand getting fitter and stronger.Since then he has not looked backand has run several races. When Iasked him what is his favouriterace distance he answered thelonger the better as he prefersdistance to speed, but he likesdoing 10km races which will makehim become sharper.Cyprian’s best time in this year’sedition of the half marathon is1:54:04 , but he tells me that hehas never run a half-marathon tohis full capacity owing to somemuscle pain or else catching acold when training for the event.He singles out the Dingli 10 Raceas a race in a class by itself.Cyprian tellsme that rightnow he is inthe 95kgzone. SinceAugust2004 he haslost about75kgs eachyear eventhough theprocess isgettingslower.Luckily, theman is talland strongand nobodywould guesshow helooked likefour yearsago unlessone knewhim.Speakingfor myself, I would have never have believed him had he notshown me his “before” and “after”photos. So if there is anybody outthere who thinks it is impossible for them to start exercising or evenrunning, I would say motivateyourself from Cyprian’s story.When asked if he feels better nowthat he started running, Cyprianreplied “Without a shadow of adoubt. Now I look at life morepositively, and I feel at peace withmyself because I have regainedmy self-esteem. When I amrunning my problems seem to fadeaway and the day’s stressvanishes”Cyprian is 33 years of age, hasbeen married for seven years toRebecca and has two boys, Paveland Janek.He mentions that his wife is behindhis success and without her support he would not be able to goout and train, and so is veryappreciative of this fact.Since joining St.Patrick’s A C hehas made a lot of friends and hasalso done his bit in recruiting newfaces as his running mate Marvinhas now become a club member too. Even more positive is hisrecent involvement with theCommittee of St.Patricks, whichgoes on to show that the clubaccepts help even from new‘recruits’.Asked about what improvementscould be made at Saint Patrick’sA.C he stated :“Possibly, I would like to see morerecognition towards athletes whodo not feature as front runnersduring a race, but who achieveother worthwhile results likecoming back after a bad injury, or changing one’s life completelybecause of running, thuspromoting our motto at St.Patrick’sthat “athletics as a way of life” is areality.”“After all, runners like myself whotrain regularly with all our constraints commit ourselves asmuch as the “elite” athletes do.”

www.stpatricksac.infoThe Shamrock

December ‘08

Cyprian Dalli BeforeTaking up Running