Steve Ford made it as far as state representative for New South Wales in the Australian Championship trials in 1971 then turned his back on athletics for baseball.
A stint as a percussionist, marriage, two daughters and a move to Queensland later, the University of Queensland Prentice Centre computer operator has made a triumphant return to the track.
Earlier this year the 47-year-old sprinter took home three gold medals - the 45-49 age group 100m sprint, triple jump and 110m hurdles at the State Veterans Athletics Championships. He was also a member of the State record-breaking 40-44, 4 by 100m relay team.
He then went on to win gold in the 110m hurdle and silver in the triple jump at the Australian Championships in Brisbane in April.
Mr Ford said the return to athletics came after he caught up with "some old friends" at the 1994 World Masters Games, where he was taking part in the baseball, who encouraged him to get back into the sport.
Fate almost intervened.
"About three months before the 1995 Australian Masters in Melbourne I broke my ankle," he said.
"One of the goals I set myself was to run at the Masters and thanks to the Physiotherapy Department at the University I got out and ran - although rather slowly.
"I kept at it from there and last year gave up baseball to concentrate on athletics."
Daily sprint and endurance sprint training from 45 to 90 minutes at the local oval at Cornubia near Logan City will hopefully see Mr Ford, if he can find a sponsor, taking part in the World Veterans Championships in the United Kingdom next year and again in Brisbane in 2002.
"At the moment I am just happy with my latest performances. I thought if I managed one gold medal I would be ecstatic but three, and five medals out of my last six events, has just overwhelmed me."
For information contact Steve Ford (telephone 3365 4115).
