Terry Monaghan was faster than the existing world record in 1960
Terry Monaghan was a speed skater from Wales who represented Great Brittain in the European and World championships between 1956 and 1962. He also participated in the Olympic Games in Squaw Valley in 1960 where he broke the world record of Hjalmar Andersen on the 10km which was realized in 1952. Unfortunately for Terry Monaghan some other skaters improved his time. So in the end he became 5th in these Olympic Games and the new world record went to Knut Johannessen.
Because Terry Monaghan is one of the few people from Great Britain who came so far in long track speed skating I want to present a bit more information about him, based on an interview that Debbie Werner has had with him in the USA, published in United News 2014 (https://www.ucg.org/members/news/profile-terry-monaghan-an-uncommon-story)
His youth
“When he was just a little kid, he loved his roller skates (back then he had the kind that you had to screw onto your shoes). Later he moved to inline roller skates. All of that was just about a kid having fun. But in 1941, he saw the movie Sun Valley Serenade, fell in love with Sonja Henie at 8 years old and decided that he wanted to go to Norway and ice skate. His interest developed from there. His dad died when he was a young teenager, so when his mom found out he loved skating, she bought him a season pass to the ice rink. She wanted to keep him off the streets and away from hanging out with the wrong crowd.
He would get warmed up with figure skating and then would work on speed skating. Though he had no coach, he was racing all over different towns in England and Scotland with the Bournemouth Speed Skating Team. You were supposed to be 16 to be on the team, but he was skating at ages 14 and 15 since he was big for his age.
When he was about 16, he jumped over a fallen skater in a race and was told he was skating dangerously and was expelled from the skating club for two weeks. That put him out of the running for the championship half-mile race in which he was the favorite. When some others heard what had happened, they got together and sent him up to Wembley to the half-mile championships of Great Britain instead of the local championships and he made the finals. He learned that despite difficulties, things can work out for the best (Romans 8:28).
His best skating story
After he got out of the Royal Air Force at age 20 he would go to Norway every winter to train as soon as the lake ice was thick enough for skating. Looking back, he sees many spiritual lessons developing during his training and competing years. He would train on his own and would improve by watching the other skaters who were better than him, just as we learn from spiritual mentors in our families and congregations (Titus 2:3-5).
Mr. Monaghan competed in long-track speed skating internationally from 1956-1962 (ages 23-29).
He told me many stories. But my favorite, which was also the biggest race for him and one where he could remember every detail, was a race for the European Championships in Oslo, Norway, in 1958 (this must be the World Championship 1960). He and his competitor were evenly matched. He knew his competitor, the Dutch skater gene vandeburg, wouldn’t quit (This must be: Jeen van der Berg, the winner of the Elfstedentocht in 1954). Every time they came past the finish line in a race with 25 laps, they were at exactly the same pace despite each trying to break away. With three laps to go, the guy who is supposed to turn the board over showing how many laps were left forgot to turn it over for two whole laps, but they were still neck in neck. After they had done 25 laps, they knew they had actually finished the race but looked at each other and both kept going because the crowd was still shouting and the final gun hadn’t gone off. The next time around the track they both waved at the guy to change the lap board, and he turned it over to two more laps to go…so they went three extra laps! Talk about perseverance! Afterwards, Gene (Jeen) put his arms around Terry and collapsed on him and said, “Let’s go find that guy and kill him.” They had given everything they had for 10,000 meters and then still had to give more. In the end they had absolutely drained themselves. Again, he learned a deep lesson that translates spiritually—we’ve got more in us than we think we have. God knows what we can do far better than we do (James 1:2-4).
There was also clearly a bond between speed skaters, even competitors, because of shared experience. The same thing can be said in the Church. Wherever you go in the world, if you’re with Church members, there is a deep camaraderie that overcomes many political and linguistic barriers (1 Corinthians 12:12).
Because Terry Monaghan is one of the few people from Great Britain who came so far in long track speed skating I want to present a bit more information about him, based on an interview that Debbie Werner has had with him in the USA, published in United News 2014 (https://www.ucg.org/members/news/profile-terry-monaghan-an-uncommon-story)
His youth
“When he was just a little kid, he loved his roller skates (back then he had the kind that you had to screw onto your shoes). Later he moved to inline roller skates. All of that was just about a kid having fun. But in 1941, he saw the movie Sun Valley Serenade, fell in love with Sonja Henie at 8 years old and decided that he wanted to go to Norway and ice skate. His interest developed from there. His dad died when he was a young teenager, so when his mom found out he loved skating, she bought him a season pass to the ice rink. She wanted to keep him off the streets and away from hanging out with the wrong crowd.
He would get warmed up with figure skating and then would work on speed skating. Though he had no coach, he was racing all over different towns in England and Scotland with the Bournemouth Speed Skating Team. You were supposed to be 16 to be on the team, but he was skating at ages 14 and 15 since he was big for his age.
When he was about 16, he jumped over a fallen skater in a race and was told he was skating dangerously and was expelled from the skating club for two weeks. That put him out of the running for the championship half-mile race in which he was the favorite. When some others heard what had happened, they got together and sent him up to Wembley to the half-mile championships of Great Britain instead of the local championships and he made the finals. He learned that despite difficulties, things can work out for the best (Romans 8:28).
His best skating story
After he got out of the Royal Air Force at age 20 he would go to Norway every winter to train as soon as the lake ice was thick enough for skating. Looking back, he sees many spiritual lessons developing during his training and competing years. He would train on his own and would improve by watching the other skaters who were better than him, just as we learn from spiritual mentors in our families and congregations (Titus 2:3-5).
Mr. Monaghan competed in long-track speed skating internationally from 1956-1962 (ages 23-29).
He told me many stories. But my favorite, which was also the biggest race for him and one where he could remember every detail, was a race for the European Championships in Oslo, Norway, in 1958 (this must be the World Championship 1960). He and his competitor were evenly matched. He knew his competitor, the Dutch skater gene vandeburg, wouldn’t quit (This must be: Jeen van der Berg, the winner of the Elfstedentocht in 1954). Every time they came past the finish line in a race with 25 laps, they were at exactly the same pace despite each trying to break away. With three laps to go, the guy who is supposed to turn the board over showing how many laps were left forgot to turn it over for two whole laps, but they were still neck in neck. After they had done 25 laps, they knew they had actually finished the race but looked at each other and both kept going because the crowd was still shouting and the final gun hadn’t gone off. The next time around the track they both waved at the guy to change the lap board, and he turned it over to two more laps to go…so they went three extra laps! Talk about perseverance! Afterwards, Gene (Jeen) put his arms around Terry and collapsed on him and said, “Let’s go find that guy and kill him.” They had given everything they had for 10,000 meters and then still had to give more. In the end they had absolutely drained themselves. Again, he learned a deep lesson that translates spiritually—we’ve got more in us than we think we have. God knows what we can do far better than we do (James 1:2-4).
There was also clearly a bond between speed skaters, even competitors, because of shared experience. The same thing can be said in the Church. Wherever you go in the world, if you’re with Church members, there is a deep camaraderie that overcomes many political and linguistic barriers (1 Corinthians 12:12).
The Olympic Games
He competed for Great Britain in the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. He was age 26. Great Britain had only two competitors that year in four events, Mr. Monaghan and another man, for four different lengths of speed skating. He remembers the opening ceremonies of the Olympics vividly. While he was standing there they released hundreds of doves, and while they circled over the heads of the athletes and spectators assembled, he just thanked God for letting him be there and achieve his lifelong ambition. He knew he wasn’t going to win but was thankful to be there for the experience. Looking back, he believes God blessed him abundantly as a result of his prayer of gratitude. |
The opening of the Olympic Games in 1960 where
Terry Monaghan participated |
His new life
He decided to stay in the U.S. for the summer. As a result, he was in Squaw Valley during the first Feast there in 1961 working at the ice arena and as a ski instructor. He thought the name Radio Church of God rang a bell and told me he had “heard it in his dreams” . He started talking with some Church members, and they seemed nice so next he talked with a minister and started purposefully listening to The World Tomorrow.
He had a lot of plans for his life, but as he was being called that all changed to being led by whatever God convicted him to do. He points out, when God is leading you, trust Him in faith even if you don’t understand or it doesn’t work out right away, in the long run it always does.
Mr. Monaghan came into the Church in 1963 and was baptized. Ultimately, he said he had to give up speed skating because it was his idol. It had been all-consuming for him—everything he ate, studying health and nutrition, anatomy and physiology—and would have left no time for God. Everything regarding skating was about the physical. He had to change over to the spiritual instead as God opened his mind. He didn’t even pay attention to any news about skating championships for the first few years.
Everything he learned from his experience he applied spiritually. We can all identify with that—everyday experiences often turn into spiritual lessons when we meditate on them.
But he continued skating
I was curious to find out if he still skates. And yes, he still has his roller blades—around five years ago (at age 76 mind you) he was skating on coastal roads and came down a steep Oregon coastal road. He was going so fast he had to spread his legs apart and crouch down in an attempt to slow down. It didn’t work. He came to the bottom of the hill and couldn’t stop so he went right through a stop sign, praying all the way! He said it was a lot of fun…but that was the last time he skated.
Though his is an uncommon story, many in the Church have similar stories of physical and spiritual challenges faced and accomplishments achieved with God’s help. Though Mr. Monaghan’s story may be an incredible and unique one, it’s really a story that all of us can relate to—one of perseverance to the end as we all journey to the Kingdom together.”
He decided to stay in the U.S. for the summer. As a result, he was in Squaw Valley during the first Feast there in 1961 working at the ice arena and as a ski instructor. He thought the name Radio Church of God rang a bell and told me he had “heard it in his dreams” . He started talking with some Church members, and they seemed nice so next he talked with a minister and started purposefully listening to The World Tomorrow.
He had a lot of plans for his life, but as he was being called that all changed to being led by whatever God convicted him to do. He points out, when God is leading you, trust Him in faith even if you don’t understand or it doesn’t work out right away, in the long run it always does.
Mr. Monaghan came into the Church in 1963 and was baptized. Ultimately, he said he had to give up speed skating because it was his idol. It had been all-consuming for him—everything he ate, studying health and nutrition, anatomy and physiology—and would have left no time for God. Everything regarding skating was about the physical. He had to change over to the spiritual instead as God opened his mind. He didn’t even pay attention to any news about skating championships for the first few years.
Everything he learned from his experience he applied spiritually. We can all identify with that—everyday experiences often turn into spiritual lessons when we meditate on them.
But he continued skating
I was curious to find out if he still skates. And yes, he still has his roller blades—around five years ago (at age 76 mind you) he was skating on coastal roads and came down a steep Oregon coastal road. He was going so fast he had to spread his legs apart and crouch down in an attempt to slow down. It didn’t work. He came to the bottom of the hill and couldn’t stop so he went right through a stop sign, praying all the way! He said it was a lot of fun…but that was the last time he skated.
Though his is an uncommon story, many in the Church have similar stories of physical and spiritual challenges faced and accomplishments achieved with God’s help. Though Mr. Monaghan’s story may be an incredible and unique one, it’s really a story that all of us can relate to—one of perseverance to the end as we all journey to the Kingdom together.”