Commentary by Myra Bean

Ken Ellis always apologizes for coming to tell The Panolian about his accomplishments.

Pish Posh!

His accomplishments, which have been paraded throughout the years, have garnered him one of the biggest rewards he could have hoped for: The 64-year-old will be inducted into the Mississippi Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony will take place Monday, November 15 at 6 p.m. at the Baptist HealthPlex on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton.

Ken, 65, has 343 medals to his credit. His wife Linda is usually not very far away. She is the source of the event photos that mark his career.

His next big competition will be at the 2011 World Fire and Police Games which will be held in New York City on the 10th anniversary on the bombing of the World Trade Center, 9-11-01.

There were 343 firemen killed during that time, from the fire departments close to the WTC to those who died during the rescue mission.

I, along with Chim Stogner,  a former coach at South Panola, were honored to nominate Ken for this honor and write letters and send articles of recommendation for the committee’s perusal.

The letter was dated October 16 and said:

“On behalf of all of us on the Mississippi Senior Olympics Board of Directors, all our athletes, sponsors and volunteers, it is a great pleasure to inform you that the members of the Mississippi Hall of Fame Selection Committee have elected you to the Mississippi Senior Olympics 2010 Hall of Fame. It is an honor well-deserved.

“We applaud you in your ability to achieve your maximum performance and set high standards in the events you participate in. Congratulations and thank you for all you do for the Mississippi Senior Olympics!”

These are some excerpts from the letter of recommendation sent about Ken.

“ Ken is an icon for senior participation in track and field events not only in Mississippi but the overall senior Olympics around the world. He is committed and dedicated to the task of keeping himself in top competitive form throughout the year. Not only does he work for himself, he gives his time to helping the local high school student-athletes achieve competition form. Through his tutelage, some the students have won track and field state championships.

“When Ken had shoulder surgery in 2007,  he did not lay down for a year. He went to the World Police and Fire Games in Adelaide, Australia and competed using his left hand. That was a real encouragement to other athletes and the students around here. He did not want the information publicized because he did not do as well as he wanted because of his injury, but I insisted to show other athletes that sometimes you have to play hurt. The last few years, Ken has wanted to stop publicizing all of his accomplishments, but that would have been wrong. If a 64-year-old man can keep going, there is no excuse for 18-year-olds.

“Ken has relayed comments that he has received from the students about how they keep going after seeing what he does. He is now in the process of teaching some junior high athletes the art of pole vaulting and they won the top two places in a meet back in April. It would not be far off to say that Ken is the epitome of the track and field world in these parts. Athletes see the top form he is in and the school is sometimes overrun with students who want to be on the track team. He is success to any student and/or adult in the circuit.

“Seeing Ken continually compete in the Mississippi Senior Olympics, the World Police and Fire Games and other events around the nation encourages many more of us to get up out of our chairs and do just one thing that he does. It goes to his character that he voluntarily keeps participating in these events. He is not required to compete because of a job but something inside of him pushes him forward. There is usually not much time between events that he competes in and for the more than 360 medals counted up. He goes from one event to the next and nobody makes him.”

It was an honor and a pleasure to nominate Ken for something that he has more than worked hard to achieve. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is not something everyone will achieve, but to those who have achieved it, it is the stamp on a life they have chosen to lead.

So, Ken, congratulations on a job well done and God bless you as you continue to go forward.