The Shamrock

The official publication of Saint Patrick’s Athletic Club

Issue No. 39 September 2008

Sport Has Made Me Better

Despite being quite
young George Vella
has a long and varied
history in sport. Here
he writes on how he
started athletics and
what has led him to
take up triathlon as his
favourite sport.
Eleven years ago, at the age
of 17 years, I used to
frequent the Sliema pool
and Exiles bay in the
summer months. It was
around this time that I
discovered sports and I was
asked to start playing
waterpolo with Exiles’ under
18 team.

As we know local waterpolo

and swimming is of quite a
high standard, so I got used to
hard training in the sea, tactics in
complicated possession and also
persistence for good teamwork
with other players. I used to play in
different positions and played well
against other clubs., Against the
big clubs our team used to sit back
in defence. It was fine until I got
problems during matches. I always
ended up being sent off because I
continued playing after ignoring
referee`s whistle: something that I
did because I am deaf. So I
decided to call it a day in this sport.
In September 1997 I started
jogging along the Sliema coastline
watching the waterpolo pitches
with "nostalgia". During my jogging,
my running pace got better and it
led me to start running
competitively in road running
events. I then joined a club where I
used to train more leisurely through
winter and did some track sessions
twice weekly. Initially, I was doing
mostly the 5km and 10km road
races but eventually started to
specialize in one event, the 800m.
It was not easy to specialize on
speed works on tracks with spikes
shoes, and had to wait patiently
until the time came when my
performance started to improve.
The breakthrough season, for me,
was that of 2000/2001 when I was
coached with Mr Donato Sabia, an
Italian middle distance coach who
had the 5th place in the 1984
Olympics Games in the 800m
event. I was teamed with some
good sprinters and middle-distance
athletes and we used to train 3 or 4
times weekly with my sessions
consisting of sprints, speed
endurances, long intervals, weights
and drills. Training was hard but
the effort paid rich dividends.
Donato pushed me to a higher
level of sub 2 minute barrier in
800m. I took part in the
Deaflympics held in Rome in July
th
2001 where I placed 12 overall
from 40 athletes in 800m event.
Here I ran for the first time in
1m59.90s.
From this time onwards, the
following races were all within
same level, improving only by a
few seconds since the every
second in this event is very hard to
beat.
Unfortunately Donato had to go
back home in Italy and it was a big
blow not only for me, but also for
other Maltese athletes.
► Continued On Page 4
 THE SHAMROCK
The official publication of St. Patrick’s Athletic Club
Issue No. 39 – September 2008
Editor: Paul Grech
Sub-Editor: Jonathan Balzan
Paul Grech’s Address: St. Helen, Vjal ix-Xarolla, Zurrieq
Telephone: 21 640 871
Editorial Mobile: 7901 4601
E-Mail: p_grech@di-ve.com
Website: www.stpatricksac.info
People On the Move
I’m sure that most of you have heard about Oscar Pistorious, the
athlete with prosthetic legs that has been trying to qualify for the Antoine Attard
Olympics. President
When Pistorious was seventeen months old and his parents Stephen Spiteri
were given the option of either letting their son grow with legs
that had no bones below the knee or if to amputate them so that Vice President, MAAA Representative &
he could grow up using prosthetic legs. Shamrock Co-ordinator

It was a difficult decision and his parents didn’t know what would Joe Zerafa
happen of him as he grew up. It was at that point that his
mother Sheila wrote a letter for her son to read in later years
Treasurer
and which said: “a loser is not one who is last in the race, it
is one who sits and watches and who has never tried to Rose Tabone
run.” Officer Juniors
It is a truly inspirational message and one which everyone
should take to heart. It is also a message that seems to be Lee Micallef
taking root locally, through a series of initiatives aimed at getting Public Relations
children into sport.
Peter Barbara
One of these was the Girls on the Move project which included
St. Patrick’s AC coach Rose Tabone.
Asst. Sec & Social Events co-ordinator

“When Valerie gave me a call to see if I was willing to coach on Cyprian Dalli
the ‘Girls on the Move’ project it was unexpected but I was Secretary
happy to do so,” she says of this project.

“I said yes as it was an opportunity for me to train them based Paul Grima
on what I have learnt during the IAAF Level One course. As Clubhouse Director
every one knows, I am very dedicated and what I do I do it from
the bottom of my heart. The girls seem to enjoy every minute. Roger Zammit
My group is made up girls of 12 to 13 years of age who seem
happy to do hurdles, long jump, a bit of running, shot put and Technical Director
also the high jump. I’m very satisfied about their attendance
because they don’t miss too often and when I ask them whether
they are enjoying themselves they say that they look forward to Any contributions for the next issue of the
coming and they don’t even notice that half an hour has Shamrock may be sent to the editor.
passed.”

“I am enjoying every minute of it and hope to see some of them joining in athletics. It doesn’t matter which club they join as long
we see the girls on the move”

Rose is truly awe inspiring because she puts in so much into athletics whilst expecting very little. For her there is nothing better
than seeing one of her protégées enjoying the sport and taking up athletics. If there were more people like her, there’s no doubt
that the sport would be on much healthier footing.

One of her athletes is Charlene Formosa, who has personal bests of 1:52.4 in the 600m, 14:80 in the 100m, 49.9 in the 300m
and 15.11 in the 70m hurdles. Last year she did a personal best of 4.19.84 in the 1200m in the National Championships and
now that she is a year older, Rose says that she is expecting her to do even better.

FISEC Medal for Spiteri

One athlete who has been doing better is Simon Spiteri who took part in this year’s edition of the FISEC Games and went a way
with a bronze medal in the 3000m. Simon is another who can teach most of us, such is his dedication for the sport. I was
impressed last year when he attended the IAAF Level 1 coaching course purely to learn more and hope that he can keep up
with his passion for athletics. Be it in running, coaching or administration, I’m sure that he has a great future.

The Shamrock September ‘08 2 www.stpatricksac.info

◄ Continued from Page 1

His departure meant that I

encountered some problems
with respect to coaching in
2002 and these where only
solved the following year
when I decided to take part in
the GSSE as my main target.
My 800m races in Malta were
so good that I dropped to a
PB of 1:57:10, but it was not
enough to get selected for the
GSSE although the standard
was good. Since I lacked
power, I decided not to blame
anyone and accepted that my
rivals were the ones to be
taking part whilst at the same
time feeling proud with my
own performances.

Then few days after the final

qualification race, in mid-May
2003, I developed an injury in
right knee which put me out
of action for six months during by, I felt I needed to change races and other races makes me
which I could not attend the track something. So I cycled in gym, more confident for such a
sessions. It was difficult to accept swam more in my free time and strenuous sport. I took part in
and I found it hard to motivate also did more weights. This routine other races abroad like the
myself following my previous good resulted in stronger endurance that European Cross Country with Deaf
performances. it helped speed up my recovery in Portugal 2006 followed by a 3rd
process. place in Aqualthon in the UK.
I decided to keep swimming and
doing weights to strengthen the But it also changed me completely: My triathlon history seems to be
muscles around I ended becoming more varied and
rd
my knee. My up interesting this year. I came 3 in
determination kept “You have to try, with switchi last Half Ironman held in Malta last
me fit both your own ng from
track to
May, and my personal best in
other Triathlons seems improving
physically and
mentally which is determination and another gradually.
very difficult in sport,
those hard
motivation, to achieve the So looking back at my history as a
moments. In in what you believe in.” Triathlo ‘normal’ athlete with St. Patrick’s
January 2004 I n. The AC, I have passed from different
could finally get back on the track time had come for me to change moments in different sporting
and soon I was back to my normal so I tried a short triathlon for disciplines. I would like to be an e
running rhythm so much so that I beginners and I completed it well. I example to the rest. Although
was running as well as I ever had. decided to move on with this new nothing is impossible, you have to
This led me to take part in the sport and now I am taking it very try, with your own determination
European Deaf Indoors seriously. and motivation, achieve in what
Championship held in Sofia, you believe although you pass
Bulgaria where I qualified to semi- My training currently consists of a from hard moments and
final although I was not combination of swims in the pressures. This can help you gain
accustomed to running on these National pool in morning before a winning mentality.
short sloping tracks! work 3 times weekly with a coach,
followed with some endurance Sports has helped me integrate
Then the following year - 2005 – I cycles with my racer, and some better in society, escape from a
suffered another injury, this time in runs. My progress in triathlon hectic routine and has
the left calf and this was much races seems to be going well since strengthened my character.
harder to heal. I tried my best to I am ranking in the best 5th places
remain convinced to complete a for now. Also, taking part in local George Vella- The Unique
quick recovery but as time passed cycling races, local sea swim Georgierun

The Shamrock September ‘08 3

www.stpatricksac.info
Report from the Annual General Meeting 2008
The AGM was this year held on Wednesday 17 July
2008 at the Clubhouse, Gudja with the following
Agenda
1. Reading and Approval of the last AGM
Minutes;
2. Reading and approval of Financial
Statements;
3. Policy address by the President;
4. Amendments to Statute and motions;
5. Other Matters.
After the resignation of the Secretary Ms Paula Vella,
in mid term, Antoine Attard volunteered to draft the
minutes.
1. Reading and Approval of the last AGM
Minutes;
The Minutes of the last General Meeting held on
Friday 27 July 2007 were read. Stephen Mifsud raised
a point of order in that he was not sure if a quorum
was reached. The President remarked that we had
sufficient members for a quorum, but he also remarked
that the attendance could have been better. He said
that this happens in most AGMs of other organizations
particularly so since this year there were no elections
on the agenda as per statute. The approval of the
Minutes was proposed by Paul Grima and seconded
by Peter Barbara. The Minutes were approved.
2. Financial Statements
The Treasurer, Joe Zerafa, read and presented a copy
of the Financial Statements which saw a slight
increase in Assets over the previous year. There is
however a decrease in annual payments of
subscriptions. It was agreed that a subcommittee
would design a campaign to increase membership.
Edwin Spiteri and Charles Darmanin remarked that the
fees for participation in the Road Races were a
deterrent. Peter Barbara said that higher fees had to
be justified. Rose Tabone said that we should go to
schools to promote our races like other clubs did.
Stephen Mifsud opined that we should start with Gudja
8K and lower race fees. We could than assess the
impact. Lee Micallef said that our members should be
offered a special price for participating in running
events. He said that we should consider for example
giving a free race to each member. Other clubs did it.
The Financial Statements were proposed by Stephen
Mifsud and seconded by Lee Micallef. They were
approved.
3. Policy Address by the President
Antoine Attard brought up various issues for
discussion. He remarked that we should be proud of
our achievements in the double win of the road running
league 2007-2008. He thanked the successful ‘A’
The Shamrock September ‘08 4 www.stpatricksac.info
teams, and all other teams that participated. He
thanked all members for their loyalty, dedication and
motivation during the past year.
He mentioned his active participation in the MAAA
Council. This had turned the image of the association
into a positive one.
He mentioned as an example the visit and lecture of
Peter Thompson Head Coach IAAF, and his lecture in
improving long distance running, and that of the IAAF
Coaching Director Quinton Botes and Melanie Curds in
September. Saint Patrick’s have now another two
IAAF Level One certified Coaches in Rose Tabone and
Katya Sapiano. Rose Tabone was subsequently
appointed one of the Coaches of the KMS’ Project
Girls on the move. Her enthusiasm and dedication
has thus been recognized and she regularly coaches a
good number of young girls on Fridays in connection
with this project. This makes Saint Patrick’s really
proud.
He remarked that the unpaid members were
considerable not withstanding the various reminders.
He was not in favour that these should be struck off
the membership list. He suggested that a sub-
committee made up of Peter Barbara and Stephen
Spiteri should be appointed to launch a membership
campaign. Their assignment should also be shared
with the future Secretary yet to be appointed.
He remarked that the sponsorship agreement with
enjoytherun had elapsed. He thanked Antonello
Gauci for his generosity and support but suggested
that we urgently need to look for a sponsor in the first
meeting of the Committee.
He said that he was not in favour of increasing the
burden on members, and athletes but to make better
use of the facilities for badly needed funds. He again
suggested that the Pakkett ta’ Servizzi which was
discussed by the past Committee should be seriously
tackled. We should generate good income if we made
better use of the clubhouse for let’s say physiotherapy
and massage, aerobics and hip-hop classes, weight
control advice etc. He hoped that the members will
give concrete support to the initiative and promotion
should start in earnest.
He referred to the good relations with the Gudja
Community, especially the Nursery of the Gudja United
Football Club. He said that we have given some
running skills through the good support of the coaches
including Valerie Farrugia, to the Football Club and will
look to consolidate the co-operation in the future. The
nursery can be a springboard for our participation
particularly next season in the Track and Field.
Antoine Attard also referred to the importance of
reaching our members and others. He reminded all
that our mission is to promote a healthy lifestyle in the
Maltese Society. The Shamrock is our mouth piece
together with the website. It is important that the
efforts invested in the Shamrock are
sustained, but there is also the need
for more support and organisation in
this regard. He said that he was very
satisfied with the exposure the Club
had in the media this year and he
singled in particular Paul Grech for his
constant efforts to reach this level of
promotion. He also thanked Emile
Vassallo for building and updating the
website.
Antoine Attard concluded by saying
that he was glad that the committee
functioned well and was in gear. He thanked Paul
Grima for refurbishing and keeping the Clubhouse.
Lee Micallef for his donations and overall contributions.
Stephen Spiteri for his drive for sponsors and fund
raising, Peter Barbara for his leadership in organizing
social activities which generated badly needed funds
and the rest of Committee and non-committee
www.stpatricksac.info
members such as Stephen Mifsud and Charles
Darmanin, the longest serving member who were
crucial in their contributions.
Regarding Road Races Charles
Darmanin and Stephen Mifsud would
liase to propose a reform in Race
Participation Points system. Charles
Darmanin was invited to keep writing the
very interesting articles on the Shamrock
and his erstwhile contribution to the
Club. He will be involving the Fr James
McGury in the write ups of the history of
the club.
Antoine Attard than proposed that
members Cyprian Dalli, and Marvin
Mangion both of Gudja would sit on the Committee.
The nominations were approved unanimously by the
AGM.
The meeting was adjourned at 9.15 pm
Antoine Attard
The Shamrock September ‘08 5
Beat the Heat: Running in Summer
Running in the hot and humid Maltese summer can be
tough. IAAF Level 1 coach Mario Pisani explains how
to make things more comfortable in this his first article
for the Shamrock.
Summer time in Malta can
sometimes be an unpleasant
experience due to very hot
temperatures and high levels of
humidity. I admire those runners
who meet early in the morning for
their training to run as a group and
then finish off with a good swim
after their run. Apart that it is a
fantastic idea for socializing, it
helps the body to cool better after
exposing it to the sun during the
run.
Preventing heat injuries
Now lets get more serious regarding running in hot
summer days by passing on some useful tips which
many times are taken for granted and easily ignored.
1. Wake up earlier (this might be difficult for those lazy
ones); remember that by 7.00am it is already hot
outside. If you can’t make it in the morning then go for
your training later in the evening ideally after 7.00pm.
2. Before you go out make sure that you apply a high
factor sunscreen protection, plus never forget to rub
some petroleum jelly in high risk friction areas.
3. Your running gear should be light in colour and of
Property Development and leasing of Offices and Commercial Premises
Financial, Fiduciary and Trustee Services
Investments, Business Development
International Trading
The Shamrock September ‘08 8 www.stpatricksac.info
high transpiration material.
4. Make sure to drink a good amount of water or
energy drink. Avoid cold drinks before, during and after
your training; these should be at room temperature for
better absorption.
Do’s and Don’ts
Avoid coffee and alcohol which can boost
dehydration by inducing more urine.
Drinking too much water can also lead to
hyponatraemia (water intoxication) and
this occurs when the body’s water and
sodium (salt) level get out of balance. The
symptoms here are similar to those of
dehydration: confusion, disorientation,
muscle weakness (cramps) and vomiting. Therefore
one has to be careful about the amounts taken;
however fluids are important before, during and after
runs.
One should also replenish lost minerals by regularly
eating fruits and vegetables: bananas, watermelon,
carrots and tomatoes are a great way to replace fluids
and minerals.
Run shorter distances and avoid intensive training
during hot hours of the day.
Enjoy your running and take care!
For additional coaching advice, Mario Pisani may be
contacted on 79255076 or marpisani@onvol.net.
St. Patrick’s AC in the Community: Physical Activity. With this in mind, the Department of
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in

Move for Health

In order to help reach the aims of its’ mission
statement – that of taking athletics to a wider audience
– St. Patrick’s AC played a key role in the organisation
of the Move for Health event.
Charles Micallef, Fitness Promoter, Health Promotion
& Disease Prevention Department, writes about this
event.
collaboration with the St Patrick's Athletic Club, the
Kunsill Malti għall-iSport (KMS) and the Scout
Association of Malta held a 3 km Fun Run activity at
Ta' Qali grounds on Saturday, May 24, 2008.
Over 250 people from all walks of life (children, young
people, elderly, disabled and tourists) took part in this
non-competitive event. Everyone was a winner and
was eventually rewarded with a nice medal.
Here I cannot forget Mr Antoine Attard (President of
the St Patrick’s Club) and his colleague Ms Valerie
Farrugia, who worked
really hard and
contributed so much to
make this event a truly
successful one. The help
received from Mr Andrew
Decelis (Director, KMS)
also deserves praise.

On behalf of my director,
Dr Charmaine Gauci, I
would also like to thank
as well the other
departments and
organizations who
helped us during this
successful event which
was started by Hon. Dr
Joseph Cassar,
Parliamentary Secretary
Each year at least 1.9 million people die globally as a in the Ministry of Social Policy.
result of physical inactivity and in the European
Region, this accounts for about 600,000 deaths. At These were: the Traffic Police Section; St Augustine's
least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity, College Air Scout Group; Lyceum Scout Group; Dingli
5 days per week, reduces the risk of several common Scout Group; PARK's Department; St John
noncommunicable
diseases (NCDs) such
as obesity,
cardiovascular
disease, diabetes and
even certain types of
cancers such as
cancer of the colon.

The World Health

Organization (WHO)‘s
Move for Health Day
provides a focal point
to generate public
awareness of the
benefits of Physical
Activity in the
prevention of NCDs.

The theme chosen by

the WHO for this Ambulance; JUGS & DJS pa sound systems; San
year's Move for Health Day was “Physical Activity For Michel water; and Tip Top.
All” as it was felt that there is a clear need to address
the issue of social inequalities in the access to I will not say more but the pictures say it all!

www.stpatricksac.info The Shamrock September ‘08 7

 Name Surname Time Easy for Ksheim in Garmin Birzebbugia 10k
Haithem Ksheim 33.35 Injury and unhappy timing meant that the majority of Malta’s
Drew Lang 35.05 leading road running specialists stayed away from this year’s
Garmin Birzebbugia 10K, but that does not detract from what was
Richard Chetcuti 35.19
a very impressive win by Haithem Ksheim.
Konstantin Rozhnov 35.27
Andrew Grech 35.42 St. Patrick’s AC’s Libyan runner has over recent months emerged
Fabio Spiteri 35.47 as a force to be reckoned with over the longer distances and has
Jason Martin 36.14 underlined his potential with a series of wins in various road
Johann Galea 36.44 races. His reputation was further enhanced in Birzebbugia where
he dominated from start to finish, ending up with a winning margin
Simon Lia 36.58
of one and a half minutes with a finish of 33:35.
Keith Galea 37.35
Philippe Lepied 37.43 Indeed it could be argued that the lack of any significant challenge
Kevin Muscat 37.47 worked against Ksheim who failed to improve on his previous
Johann Attard 38.01 year’s finish of 33:00.
David Sammut 38.01
Rodney Cassar 38.49 Not that Drew Lang, who eventually finished second, ever gave
up. The veteran athlete, also of St. Patrick’s AC, remains a
Antoine Abela 39.05
determined competitor despite his age and was well pleased to
Jefferson Camilleri 39.09 finish second in a race where he has done very well in the past.
Simon Camilleri 39.21 He just managed to edge out Mellieha’s Richard Chetcuti who
Giselle Camilleri 40.03 finished the race in 35:19 with Lang in on 35:05.
Luke Bonnici 40.07
Noel Spiteri 40.28 Yet perhaps the most impressive result of the day was Konstantin
Kenneth Curmi 41.02
Roshnov’s fourth place finish with a time of 35:27. Running in the
colours of St. Patrick’s AC the sixteen year-old was a revelation
Joseph Farrugia 41.06
although his performance should not be much of a surprise given
Manuel Spiteri 41.19 that his father Ivan is
Joseph Barbieri 41.19 Johanna Calleja 48.28 one of the most
Stephen Mifsud 41.55 Peter Barbara 48.46 respected and
Carmen Hili 42.03 Francis Sant 49.00 knowledgeable local
Josie Vella 42.07 coaches.
Blair Delceppo 49.10
Frankie Galea 42.08 Marylynn Bezzina 49.29 Roshnov senior
Martin Agius 42.09 Albert Cilia 49.30 happens to be the
Sinclair Grima 42.18 Andrew Xuereb 50.04 coach of Giselle
Kevin Borg 42.19 Wolley Ghiller 50.58 Camilleri who
Josann Attard 42.36 Vitale Manto 51.45 continued with her
Carmelo Gatt 42.59 Angelique Attard 51.45
recent return back to
Marisa Muscat 43.04
full fitness with
Ruben Magro 52.21
another win.
Alexander Pulo 43.15 Maurizio Abela 53.07 Camilleri, another St.
Carmel Farrugia 43.31 Emmanuel Debattista 53.24 Patrick’s AC athlete,
Abraham Zammit 44.03 Alfred Demarco 54.26 won in 40:03 which
Alexander Mifsud 44.19 Paul Grima 54.45 will be another
Alfred Curmi 44.28 Ivania Carabott 55.10 significant boost after
Gino Chetcuti 44.36 her recent results on
Victor Spiteri 56.09
the track that saw her
Tony Vella 44.38 Neville Gatt 56.13 regain her place in
Pierre Pirotta 44.47 David Jones 56.17 the Maltese squad.
Lee Micallef 44.51 Victor Sammut 56.41
Denise Borda 44.56 Sylvana Ungaro 56.44 Carmen Hili, also of
Antoine Zammit 45.16 Ruben Debono 56.53 St. Patrick’s AC and
Joseph Debono 45.32 Kler Azzopardi 58.19
last year’s winner,
Jeffrey Callus 45.35 finished second in a
Nicholas Naudi 59.16
time of 42:03 which
Paula Vella 46.37 Raffaele Sigona 1.00.08 was almost a minute
Raymond Scicluna 46.42 Edwin Spiteri 1.00.32 slower than the time
Stephen Spiteri 46.47 Manuel Bezzina 1.01.05 she set last year
Charles Abela 47.31 Alan Delceppo 1.01.40 while Starmax AC’s
David Demarco 47.55 Donald Cauchi 1.09.00 Josann Attard was
Emile Vassallo 48.12 third (42:36).
Irene Zahra 1.09.18

The Shamrock September ’08 8 www.stpatricksac.info

 St. Patrick's AC Race Participation Scheme 2007 - 2008
Pos. NAME CATEGORY UP to Mellieha B'Bugia 10 K TOTAL
1 LEE MICALLEF M35 2562 226 2788
2 CARMEN HILI W35 2534 238 2772
3 WALLY GHILLER M50 2452 212 2664
4 PAUL GRIMA M45 2430 204 2634
5 DREW LANG M40 2342 248 2590
6 JONATHAN BALZAN M35 2472 2472
7 KSHEIM HAITHEM M OPEN 1972 250 2222
8 DAVID JONES M40 2008 200 2208
9 RUBEN DEBONO M45 1962 198 2160
10 RUBEN MAGRO M OPEN 1882 208 2090
11 MARISA MUSCAT W35 1854 232 2086
12 CHARLES DARMANIN M50 2038 2038
13 GINO CHETCUTI M45 1720 228 1948
14 EUGENIO FARRUGIA M45 1940 1940
15 STEPHEN MIFSUD M50 1632 240 1872
16 STEPHEN SPITERI M45 1494 220 1714
17 PETER BARBARA M55 1398 214 1612
18 MARTIN AGIUS M50 1316 236 1552
19 JIMMY BONNICI M40 1398 1398
20 ALFRED DEMARCO M55 1182 206 1388
21 PATRICK SALIBA M OPEN 1360 1360
22 CHARLES ABELA M35 1074 218 1292
23 PAULA VELLA W OPEN 1062 222 1284
24 ANDREA AGIUS M OPEN 1274 1274
25 MICHAEL GELLEL M35 1270 1270
26 SAVO RISTIC M35 1232 1232
27 MICHAEL CALLEJA M55 1188 1188
28 PHILIP CAMILLERI M60 1102 1102
29 DONALD CAUCHI M50 908 194 1102
30 EMILE VASSALLO M35 886 216 1102
31 GISELLE CAMILLERI W OPEN 850 244 1094
32 ANTOINE ATTARD M55 1060 1060
33 SIMON S. CAMILLERI M35 1058 1058
34 SINCLAIR GRIMA M35 806 234 1040
35 JUDE ZAMMIT M40 1038 1038
36 GEORGE VELLA M OPEN 1030 1030
37 KENNETH RYDER M60 1014 1014
38 JOSEPH ZERAFA M50 1006 1006
39 IVAN PADOVANI M45 984 984
40 CARMEL ZAMMIT M50 940 940
41 SIMONE MAGRI W35 928 928
42 RENATO CARUANA M35 926 926
43 CYPRIAN DALLI M OPEN 896 896
44 EMANUEL SPITERI M50 628 242 870
45 VITALE MANTO M60 656 210 866
46 SIMON STAFRACE M OPEN 826 826
47 GODWIN CUTAJAR M50 822 822
48 MARIO P. VELLA M45 822 822
49 KONRAD CIAPPARA M40 758 758
50 INAKI BERROETA M45 738 738
51 DAVID CACHIA 716 716
52 VICTOR SPITERI M65 506 202 708
53 CECIL BORDA M45 662 662
54 ANGELA SAMMUT W40 648 648
55 CARMEL CARUANA M40 620 620
56 HENDRIK D'AMATO M50 620 620
57 EDWIN SPITERI M60 424 196 620
58 MICHAEL GRIMA M OPEN 592 592
59 KATYA CIAPPARA W OPEN 584 584
60 PAWLU BRINCAT M50 566 566
61 LYDIA BARBARA W50 514 514
62 GEORGE ABELA M55 474 474
63 VINCENT SPITERI M60 452 452
64 RUBEN DEGIORGIO M OPEN 418 418
65 CARL MARIO ZAMMIT M OPEN 416 416
66 TONIO PRIVITELLI M45 404 404
67 VICTOR LAURENTI M45 402 402
68 ANTOINE ZAMMIT M45 174 224 398
69 PHILIP CAUCHI M35 390 390
70 DANICA SPITERI W OPEN 382 382
71 MONICA PISCOPO W55 376 376
72 ADRIANA TEDESCO W OPEN 344 344
73 KOSTANTIN ROSHNOV 0 246 246
74 ADRIAN FABRI 242 242
75 MICHAEL ATTARD M45 238 238
76 ALFRED CURMI 0 230 230
77 SIMON SPITERI M OPEN 220 220
78 ERNEST DESIRA M OPEN 206 206
79 JOYCE ZAMMIT 164 164
80 CHARLES MANGION 144 144
81 WAYNE SPITERI 142 142
Whilst every attempt is made to present an accurate set of results, these should be checked by
each participating athlete so that any unintentional errors are corrected before the December
issue of The Shamrock. If you know of or have spotted any such error, kindly get in touch with
Stephen Mifusd on 79443271 or stemif@maltanet.net.
 Officiating the Track St. Patrick’s AC Initiative:
Apart from when they make a controversial decision,
few people take notice of the officials during a track
meeting yet they play a vital role. Antoine Attard
spoke to Valerie Farrugia about the attraction and
challenges of being an official
Valerie how long have you been on the track
officiating?
I guess I am one of the longest serving officials. I have
been officiating for more than 10 years now but for the
last 2 years I have been the Starter.
How do you feel when you raise the gun for a
start?
Excited as much as the athletes. I feel the
responsibility of their hard work on me.
What do you expect when the athletes are on the
starting line?
To be more calm and alert for the starter’s orders.
Have you also officiated abroad?
Yes, in fact I have been the first MAAA official together
with our dear late Joe Gerada officiating in the South
of England at Woodside Stadium Watford, Senior Men
and Women championships way back in 1999.
What is the best experience on the Track?
Every time I am on the track as an official whether as a
starter or a starter assistant, is a new experience.
In International meetings such as when we had the
GSSE, FISEC Games and our own International
meetings.
How do you see Maltese Athletics in the future?
Good, we have a good number of promising athletes
coming up. Within 2 years we will have some Track
and Field new athletes.
Do you think that officials should be paid for their
services?
In my opinion YES. I would not want to get paid. I do it
because I personally love the sports and the athletes. I
simply love doing it but one cannot oblige other official
to do the same thing every week-end all year round.
Where ever you go you will never find anyone working
for nothing doing this kind of volunteer work.
Do you find cooperation from other officials on the
track?
Yes we have got a small group of reliable people
around and they cooperate really well.
You have also started many Road Running Races.
Can you tell us the difference found?
For the last 5 years or more I have started every Road
race. The difference on the road is that there is a good
number of athletes starting at one go and the starters
order is simply, On Your Marks and Shoot whilst on
the track the orders are different. The starter has to
concentrate and focus for a false start.
Any ambitions?
No not really. I am happy with what I am doing. I only
pray our good Lord to keep me healthy as to continue
doing this voluntary work for many, many more years.
The Shamrock September ‘08 8 www.stpatricksac.info
Across Sicily on a Bike
Earlier this year, a number of members started training for a
cycling trip to Sicily. The idea took off an ultimately a group of 65
cyclists made the trip including 10 athletes from St. Patrick’s AC:
Jude Zammit, Martin Agius, Joe Zerafa, Emile Vassallo, Paul
Brincat, Konrad Ciappara, Gino Chetcuti, Godwin Cutajar, Carmel
Caruana, Renato Caruana. The trip also served to raise some
funds for charity, with the figure of €300 being collected but it was
a great experience as Jude Zammit explains.
Who came up with the idea of the trip?
I came up with the idea and then mentioned it to the other St.
Patrick's athletes during a Sunday run. The idea immediately
tantalized them.
Was the intention always to go across Sicily or did it develop
from something else?
At first it was just a bike ride anywhere in Sicily but then I
researched some possible routes on google earth and concluded
over a trip from Pozzallo to Syracuse and back, an overall
distance of 140km. I made a few flyers with route description and
other related information and distributed them on a Sunday Run.
Did you expect so many people to be interested in making the
trip?
At first all I had in mind was a handful of athletes. Myself and a
couple of other athletes actually bought the ferry ticket
immediately the other St .Patrick's athletes confirmed their
participation soon after. Thereafter the idea spread like wild fire.
Many of the St. Patrick’s athletes subsequently enticed to the
challenge, friends and athletes from other clubs. The number of
participants kept growing and growing.
How did they get to know about it?
Information regarding training was relayed by word of mouth.
However many of us were long distance runners and they were
used to arduous training. Also a good number of the participants
were seasoned cyclists. Participants knew the effort that it
entailed, however as the number continued to increase up to the
end we never knew exactly who all the people were until we met to
board the ferry boat.
Did everything go to plan?
No matter how much you plan, something unpredictable or
accidental is always bound to happen. All in all the trip was a great
success however we had a few mishaps such as: an injured cyclist
who needed medical attention and our accompanying van had to
take him to the Hospital in Syracuse; a couple of cyclists who had
to forfeit due to dehydration; a group of cyclists that somehow got
separated from the main group and took a detour of about 21km.
Was it harder or easier than expected?
I would not say harder than expected for those that trained
properly. Having said that however it was definitely not easy and
anyone not trained should not attempt such a feat. On average we
had cycled for 7 to 8hrs at 20kph which is not exactly a walk in the
park.
Any plans for future trips?
It is very satisfying that I received a lot of positive feedback and
there seems to be a demand for such activities. With this in mind I
definitely will be organizing an other trip in the near future. I am
actually in the process of studying possible routes from which I will
then choose the most feasible. From the Pozzallo Syracuse trip I
have learned many things, I kept a note of what works and what
does not, therefore the next trip should be even better.
 Pisa Success for Alfred Curmi
St. Patrick’s AC runner Alfred Curmi joined a
group of local athletes at the Pisa Half
Marathon and came back with a masters’
title.
His eventual finishing time of 1:32 might not
have been a personal best – that lies at 1:29
in the Malta Half-Marathon, but it was good
enough to win him the 55-60 age group title.
“I was not expecting to do well because after
the Malta Half-Marathon I had eased off
training,” he said. “I only started training for
this some three weeks before the event so I
was very pleased to win this.”
“The race was very enjoyable, even though it
For the Latest News & Views
on Maltese athletics visit
www.maltaathletics.blogspot.com
www.stpatricksac.info
was very hot. The route was interesting and
there was a good feeling among the athletes.”
This was not Alfred’s first running trip abroad
as he has taken part in the London marathon
twice, the Giulianova marathon and the Great
Northern run. The latter has left an
impression on him. ”It was a great
experience. There were 40,000 people
taking part and it was extremely enjoyable. I
would recommend that race to anyone.”
Indeed, he plans to return to Newcastle next
year. “Every year I try to run abroad and I am
looking to see where I can go next. However,
I have to say that the Great Northern Run is
the most likely destination at the moment.”
The Shamrock September ‘08 13
The Vital Ingredient
One of the most respect long distance coaches on the
island and the hugely popular author of a weekly
column on athletics on the Times of Malta, John
Walsh talks about Maltese long distance running in his
first article for The Shamrock.
Every year from November to February I write a
weekly Saturday article on running in The Times. I
began these articles way back in 1985 as a build-up to
the first Malta Marathon in February 1986. I had to do
so, because road running
in Malta was still in its
infancy (a recent Mdina-
Spinola race had boasted
a sparse field of only 18
runners). The early
articles were filled with
“training schedules”; basic
advice on what sort of
training a beginner might
undertake in order to be
able to stand on the future
marathon startline.
Some 23 years later, I still
write articles every winter. Video game generation: fewer
Over the years I have children are taking up athletics
been able to move away
from offering direct
training advice, since the number of runners in Malta
capable of running either a half, or full marathon has
grown, and these, in turn, have been passing on
running advice to friends and club-mates.
The most recent set of articles last year dealt with a
subject I feel strongly about; Talent Identification. The
general decline in participation (certainly in W. Europe)
of young athletes in middle and long distance running
has meant that we can no longer sit back and assume
that enough youngsters will take up the sport that
among them will be those who are inherently highly
talented.
Such are the cultural changes apparent in our society,
with the drop in children’s activities (when did you last
see children playing in the street?) coupled to the rise
of competing pastimes (xBox, Sony Playstation,
computers in general) and, sadly, the rise in childhood
obesity, that fewer and fewer children are taking up
track and field athletics.
Which also means that fewer “stars” are available for
discovery, and in those articles I provided details on
the length of time for which some local middle and long
distance records have stood (a number of them for 10-
15 years).
The Shamrock September ‘08 14
The point of that series of articles was that we can
“test” for potential physical talent; we can (and should)
go out and look for future stars. However one thing I
neglected to mention, and every bit as important as the
“physical” potential, was the level of commitment of the
person concerned. There is no way to achieve a high
level of sporting excellence without a correspondingly
high level of personal commitment.
A large group of marathon runners in one study had to
respond to the question,
“How important is it for
you to excel in your sport?
It soon became evident
that those with the highest
commitment (on a scale of
1-10) became the fastest
runners. As the
commitment scores
decreased, so did the
level of performance. The
same was true for athletes
in a variety of other sports.
When members of the
Swedish national
badminton team were
asked what was the main
difference between them
and others who did not make the team, their response
was commitment (e.g.: ‘wanting it more’, ‘being willing
to train longer and harder’).
Not surprisingly, the best athletes were those who
were already most committed as Juniors. They made
the sacrifices, they did “the extra” that they believed
would one day make them excellent athletes.
In a study in the US National Hockey League, top
coaches and scouts were asked what they saw as the
most important aspect for a player to make it as a pro.
Desire, determination, attitude, heart and self-
motivation were most often mentioned as the crucial
ingredients that titled the balance between making it
and not making it as a professional athlete.
This level of sheer willingness to do plain old hard
work may ultimately be the most important requirement
for success in our chosen sport. There is no shortcut
to success; no-one reaches the top as a distance
runner on 10 miles of training per week.
Echoing that sentiment I have always liked the saying
of Juma Ikangaa, a 2:08 marathoner from Tanzania;
“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to
prepare.”
www.stpatricksac.info
 St. Patricks’s A.C.

The ERREA'
Gudja 8 K Road Race 2008
Under M.A.A.A. Rules

RACE INFORMATION

Date: Sunday 5th October 2008

Time: 8 km Open Race: 8.30 a.m.

Start & Finish: St Patrick’s AC Clubhouse

Dawret il-Gudja, Gudja Bypass (close to Bettina Palace)

Race Benefits for ALL participants (including the Fun Runners):

• A commemorative medal
• A goodie bag, including an ERREA’ Tee Shirt

Prizes: 8km Open Race:

• First 3 Males: Trophy and Vouchers for €35, €25, €15
• First 3 Females: Trophy and Vouchers for €35, €25, €15

Age Groups:
• First Under 20 Male & Female
• Male Over 35/ 40/45/50/55/60/65/70
• Female Over 35/40/45/50/55/60
• 1st Male and 1st Female residing in Gudja

• Number of participants consisting of 8 and more, 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize awarded
• Number of participants consisting of 5 to 7, 1st and 2nd prize awarded
• Less than 5 participants, only 1st prize awarded

Any athlete winning more than one prize must accept the first prize

Eligibility: • 8km: 17 years on the day of the race

• Fun Run: Open to all ages

Entry Fee: • 8km Open Race: € 10.00 • Fun Run: € 3.00

Course measurement: • The calibrated bicycle method shall be used.

• Course will be marked and marshaled

Water Stations: At the 4th kilometre, and Finish

Closing date: Saturday 27th September 2008.

Late entries will only be accepted against a fee of € 20.00.

Presentation: Will be held next to the St Patrick’s AC clubhouse after the race

Race Numbers and Results: Race Nos. will be sent by post whilst results will be sent by
e-mail but can also be downloaded from www.stpatricksac.info

1
 St. Patricks’s A.C.

The ERREA'
Gudja 8 K Road Race 2008
Under M.A.A.A. Rules

RACE APPLICATION

PLEASE USE BLOCK LETTERS

Surname:

Name: Sex: Male Female

Address:

Telephone: Age on day of race:

E-Mail

Name of Club (if any):

I am entering the: 8km (€ 10) Fun Run (€ 3)

I enclose herewith my cheque/postal order no. , value , being the amount of

the entry fee. (Please note that entries will not be accepted unless accompanied by entry fee).
Cheques/Postal orders should be made payable to “ST PATRICK’S AC” only.

I declare that I will abide by the eligibility rules and competition rules of M.A.A.A. and St. Patrick’s AC.
I accept that the organisers will not be liable for any loss, damage or injury I may sustain as a consequence of
my participation in the “The ERREA’ GUDJA 8K ROAD RACE”. I declare that I have trained sufficiently for
the event and that a medical doctor has monitored my physical condition. I hereby declare that the above
particulars are complete and correct in every detail.

Tick Box if you DO NOT wish to include your E-mail address for promotional
purposes by Saint Patrick’s Athletic Club.

Signature: Date: 2008

Entries and remittance are to be sent to:

Race Organiser
ST PATRICK’S AC,
‘Wintermoor’ 69, Triq Karmenu Vassallo
L-Iklin BZN 11
Closing date: Saturday 27th September 2008

2
 Application form for all St. Patrick's A.C. Athletes
participating in the
M.A.A.A. WINTER LEAGUE 2007/2008.
Commencing on Sunday 19th October 2008.

PLEASE USE BLOCK LETTERS

Surname:

Name: Sex (M-Male/F-Female):

Address:

Telephone: Date of Birth:

Entry Fee € 10.00.

I enclose herewith my cheque/postal order no._________, value ________ being the amount
of the entry fee. (Please note that entries will not be accepted unless accompanied by entry
fee). Cheques/Postal orders should be made payable to “ST. PATRICK’S AC.” only.

Signature : _________________________ Date : ____________________

Entries and remittance are to be sent to :

ST. PATRICK’S AC.

69 “WINTERMOOR”, KARMENU VASSALLO STR. L-IKLIN BZN 11

Closing date: Saturday 4th October 2008.

This application form can be photocopied.
 Future Stars: Birzebbugia Fun Run

The Shamrock September ’08 18 www.stpatricksac.info

Revision of Race Participation Scheme
For the Athletic Season 2008/2009, the races that will be awarded points are as follows:

Race Points
Ladies 10K 200
Gudja 8K 300
MAAA Road Running League (4 or 5 races as per MAAA) 250 each
Malta Running Challenge 250
Zurrieq Half Marathon 200
Birkirkara 5k (December race only) 100
Mdina - Spinola 200
Malta Half & Full Marathon 250 / 300
Dingli 10 300
Pembroke 10K 200
Mellieha 10K 200
Mosta 8K 100
Birzebbugia 10K 300
Clubs League (Track & Field events covering 3 meetings 300
♣ Athletes should note that 2 road races and track events have been added to the list of
races. In order to help the middle and back-of–the–pack runners it was decided that
bonus points will be given to athletes as follows:500 extra points for completing ALL the
above races ;
♣ 400 extra points for completing all the above races except 1;
♣ 300 extra points for completing all the above races except 2;
♣ 200 extra points for completing all the above races except 3;
♣ 100 extra points for completing all the above races except 4
♣
This new system for giving points will be tried out for the coming season and improved upon
after a year’s trial.

F’Ghajnejn ir-Runner Pero’ kien hemm diskussjonijiet interessanti.

Is-sajf qieghed maghna. Hafna shana u xemx tahraq li
thallik bla nifs. Ahseb u ara kemm ikollok aptit titrenja u
tibqa ghaddej b’dak ir-ritmu ta’ qabel is-sajf!
Minhabba hekk, certu tlielaq li jigu organizzati jigu
affetwati minn nuqqas ta’ konkorrenza, paragon ma’
dawk li jigu organizzati fix-xitwa.
Specjalment dik ta’ Birzebbugia fejn kullhadd ibaghti
fiha rigward hin, performance u attendnza. Pero’ dawk
li jiehdu sehem, jipsiccaw it-tigrija bi tbissima li
rnexxielhom jispiccaw fost atmosfera ferrieha u
divertenti. Tigrija li tkun organizzata sa’ l-inqas dettal
kif jafu jaghmlu s-St. Patrick’s kull meta jorganizzaw
tellieqa.
L-Annual General Meeting giet u ghaddiet. L-istorja
regghat irrepetiet ruha. Ma kienx hemm iktar min
ghaxar min nies apparti l-kumitat li l-anqas ma’ kien
komplut.
Dejjem nistaqs: ghaliex din l-apatija mill-membri?
Ghaliex ma naghmlux ftit sforz biex ghallinqas nattendu
darba f’sena u nkunu nafu x’qed jigri gewwa l-klabb u
kullhadd ikun jista’ jghid tieghu?
Nahseb li hemm xi haga li mhux timxi sew fil-klabb.
Ghadni ma’ nafx x’inhi. Pretendejt li ghallinqas fost
dawk prezenti jkun hemm it-Top Athletes. Imbaghad il-
klabb jaghmel min kollox biex jagevolhom. Ma rajt il-
hadd minnhom hlief wiehed.
Nawgura lill-kumitat sena ohra tajba ta’ hidma. Hidma li
jaghmlu volontarjament ghalina l-membri. Ahna l-bqijja
tal-membri ghandna nkunu iktar rikonoxxenti lejhom.
Inkunu pronti nhallsu l-mizata. Nattendu kull tigrija li
jorganizza l-klabb taghna. Nigru bil-gear tal-klabb.
Nattendu kull attivita li jorganizza u nippruvaw naghtu
kontribut fix-Shamrock, l-ikbar mezz li ghandna biex
naghtu vuci lil klabb u nzommuh haj u zghazugh.
Paul Grima

www.stpatricksac.info The Shamrock September ’08 19