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Are You In Shape?
(Ed. Note:
This is the first in a two-part series of
articles about physical fitness. Olin
employees have been interviewed on the
subject and you’ll read their comments
in this issue and the next one.)
Physical fitness is fashionable today.
Many people want to “feel good about
myself" and regular exercise seems to
be one way of maintaining self-
confidence in one’s appearance.
Besides that, people are also declaring
that exercise is biologically good for
the body, and may help lessen some
illnesses.
We have Olin employees who are
exercise conscious, and who
participate in a broad spectrum of
activities.
Biking
Determining it “great for energy
conservation and physical fitness,”
Supt. Fibre/Pulp/Chemical Don
Rogers bicycles for more than just
fun. He rides his bike to and from
work each day; the total distance is
11 miles and it takes 25 minutes of
his time each way, he says, “which
doesn’t inconvenience my schedule
as jogging or swimming or other
forms of exercise. I come to work and
go home anyway, so why not choose a
physical fitness style which suits my
normal schedule?” he asks.
Bicycling for three years, Don
confesses he doesn’t ride his bike if
inclement weather prevails. “I don’t
think it’s safe in the rain. It’s too easy
to turn over and get hurt. Also, cars
and bikes don’t mix too well in good
weather. In bad weather, it’s even
worse,” he says.
Before becoming a bike buff, Don
tried his hand — rather his legs —
at juyginy. i juggeu auuui six
months before I gave it up. I didn’t
like the time I had to slot each day.
It took up more time than I was willing
to give,” he explained.
Looking for a physical activity which
would not directly cut into his personal
time, Don came up with the idea of
biking for exercise. A firm believer
that people should get some form of
exercise each day, to stay in shape
mentally and physically, Don says
biking’s a “good way to relieve
stress and frustration, and gives you
time to think about your day and plan,
in your head, activities for work or
home.”
And, as if biking five days a week
to the plant isn’t enough, Don
sometimes takes long hauls, usually
with friends, during weekends. He
says he prefers to ride with a group
of people but “bikes” to work alone.
United Way
“There's no one going the way I go,”
he states. He rides on back roads
because traffic isn’t as bad. “I’d
rather go the extra distance than
fight with vehicles. Bikes aren’t much
noticed by other types of traffic.”
In conversation, Don mentioned that
the state of Oregon allocates three per
cent of its annual highway budget for
“bike paths.” He explained that bike
paths are a strip of surface located
adjacent to the highway.
Besides bicycling, Don plays
occasional tennis and enjoys
swimming although swimming
becomes a problem unless he has
opportunity to an inside pool.
When asked about his plans for
continuing his biking exercise
program when icy, cold weather sets
in this coming January and February,
the tall, lithe, dark-haired bicyclist
replied, “I’m considering buying
rollers to set up inside my home. Then
I can ride despite the weather.”
Weight-Lifting
A Golden Gloves champion in North
Carolina and runner-up for the title
in South Carolina, Export Packer in
Finishing Cecil Lowery has hung up
his gloves to flex his muscles. For
15 years he has toyed with weight
lifting; only in the past 3 1/2 has he
taken the sport serious, conditioning
himself through a rigorous 90-minute
program he engages in regularly on a
daily basis.
While the art of weight lifting
requires great strength, Cecil
contends that it is mental activity as
well. “You won’t lift unless you’re
mentally ready,” he added. The mental
attitude is so important, he said,
“that sometimes I have to take a few
days off to reorganize myself mentally.
You just get torn down pyschologically.”
Cecil was on a football scholarship
at the University of Georgia when he
became interested in weight lifting.
Now, he works out at an indoor gym
downtown. He rents the building and
the equipment is his. He exercises 20
minutes skipping rope before he
begins lifting. Three days a week,
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,
he works his upper body while
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
he strengthens back and legs.
Sundays, he rests.
A partner to work out with “will
cause us to push one another. There’s
a little competition and you’ll drive
that much harder,” he said. His oldest
son, Eddie, occasionally works out
with him. Eddie recently placed third
in a Region Three Physical Contest in
Greenville and competed September
27 in Mr. Teenager North Carolina in
High Point.
One of the features which keeps
Cecil attracted to weight lifting
is “you can see immediate results.
After my program each day, I spend
some time flexing muscles. It makes
me feel really good after I’ve had a
good work-out.” Another reason he
prefers weight lifting to other
forms of exercise is that the activity
is not seasonal, and a team is not
required to participate.
He recently returned from a “Mr.
America Over 40” competition in
Atlanta. “A man there who was at
least 60, maybe older, placed,” he
said. Cecil added it was his first
weight lifting competition. And who
knows? Years down the road it may
be Cecil who places at a contest
like the fellow he spoke of.
Softball
For 2-1/2 years, Gerald Edwards,
Defective Bobbin Inspector in Paper
Finishing, left a sport he loves —
softball — because of back problems.
He had been playing for 15 years, and
smashing home runs one after the
other. This being the second season
he has been reinvolved, “I feel better
now than I ever felt. At first, it took
me awhile to get back in the swing
of things, but I got encouragement
from the boys. That helped me,”
Gerald said.
Gerald's batting average is over
500 and he plays for the County
League and Olin’s Industrial League
where he is the lead home run hitter
for both, hitting 100 home runs this
season. A first baseman, Gerald says,
“I like to stay as fit as I can. This is
the best way I know to do it. There are
(Continued to Page 2, Col. 1)
This illustrated sports line art is
contributed by Trish Breen. Trish,
a Secretary in Technical, is a native
of Rhodesia, Africa. She is pursuing
a BA Degree in Fine Arts from UNC-
Asheville. She has been employed
by Olin for two years. Watch for a
feature on Trish in an upcoming
Olin PROFILE.
It's People Helping People!
It’s that time of the year again when
United Way is getting underway in
Transylvania County. The goal this
year is $109,595. Five divisions, which
include an industrial one, are
responsible for meeting this goal, a
3.8 percent increase from last year.
Fourteen area agencies are being
served this year by United Way.
The Industrial Division's goal is
$73,676. As in the past, Olin is again
participating in a plant drive to help
meet this goal. Employees will have a
chance to give through payroll
deduction or cash or check, if they
prefer. Last year, Pisgah Forest
employees pledged a total of $22,552
for Transylvania County.
What are some of the reasons
employees should consider giving to
United Way? How does United Way
really help people? In the first place,
we, at Olin, are taxed heavily by the
Government. We have no say-so, no
control over where the government
chooses to spend our tax dollars. By
contributing to the United Way, we are
sure that our money will help many
needy people as well as young people
who will be tomorrow’s industrial,
county and community leaders and
citizens. The United Way allows our
community citizens to work together
for causes needing attention in our
community. Does the government
know what the real community needs
are? No, but our own community
people do. Americans are a people
who want to help. When a family
produces huge medical bills or a family
loses all it has through some
catastrophe, we come to the rescue
immediately. This brotherly love in
action are the concepts of sharing and
helping personified. The most
inclusive package of human services
ever established, the United Way is
the one philanthropic organization
which Olin endorses each year. It is
because Olin cares about its
community, its people, that the plant
conducts its own drive each year. Olin
supplies the local agency with
volunteers and our plant personnel
organize and sponsor the plant
program.
Among those agencies being served
this year by United Way in Transylvania
County are Brevard Chapter of
American Red Cross, Daniel Boone
Council (Boy Scouts USA), Brevard
Rescue Squad, Brevard and Pisgah
Forest Lions Club (White Cane),
Jenkins Community Center, Meals-
On-Wheels, Pisgah Girl Scouts
Council, Inc., Rosman Rescue Squad
Salvation Army, Transylvania County
Humane Society, Transylvania Youth
Association, Transylvania County 4-C
Program, and Transylvania Community
Hospital.
When you are asked to give this year
by a solicitor who will be approaching
you in the near future, think about
some of the reasons you read here
about “Why Give?”