Behind every great family of runners there’s a great woman.
That wasn’t quite the original quote but in the case of the Connor clan, which has thrived both in and beyond Long Island for decades, a slight modication of the wording is justified.
Gloria and John Connor raised nine kids in East Islip, N.Y. and three of their children became exceptional runners and cyclists.
While John – a World War II hero, outstanding high school science teacher and well-above-average marathon runner – led by example, it was Gloria who encouraged and inspired her children to reach for the stars.
Joe, the oldest of the three, became a standout CYO track runner and later, to this day, a powerhouse long-distance bicycle athlete.
Later, twins Michael and MaryAnn followed in their brother’s footsteps. Each has run marathons – Mike in the 2001 (post 9/11) New York City 26.2-miler and MaryAnn the 2010 Boston granddaddy of them all.
When Gloria passed away last week at the miraculous age of 99, her children expressed both love for and gratitude to their departed mom.
They were more than ready to credit her for their athletic prowess. And a lot of it had to do with mental strength and any runner who has crossed the finish line of a marathon can attest to that.
“As kids, we were outside a lot and my mom endorsed us being outside, having fun,” said Mike, now a podiatrist who resides with his family in Connecticut. “We got into running early at CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) and that’s really where it started.
“Both Joe and I were sprinters then. We got medals, there were meets and we were competitive. We did really well.”
When a meet was over and it was time to go home, the boys would be greeted at the door by their mom with a proud smile on her face. That was more important than any medal.
“I enjoyed track because I was good at it,” Mike said. “It helped with other sports, too, like soccer because as they say, speed kills.
“My mom was definitely happy for us to be outside, she was very encouraging.”
Joe, now a pharmacist living in Virginia, said his mom provided emotional strength when it was needed most. Her patience and understanding provided self-assuredness when it came to sports.
“At the end of the day the family would have eaten dinner and I would show up late,” Joe recalled. “She would always have something prepared for me.
“The plate was there for me when I got home and that was pretty amazing to me. She would always take the time to make the meal for me.”
Just down the street from the Connor residence stood the house in which the Esiason family children grew up. One of the kids was someone you may have heard of, a young fellow named Boomer and while he was six years younger than Joe, he was good enough to play with the more mature kids on the block.
Boomer went on to become a three-sport star and eventually led the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl.
In later years, former major league baseball player, Tony Graffanino (who played for seven MLB teams), also took part in these pickup games.
“We would have touch football games in the street,” Joe said. “You had to be in shape to play in those and running played a part.”
MaryAnn, chief nursing informatics officer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and wife of this article’s author, said her mother understood what athletics meant to her children.
“She had an innate ability to understand the importance of doing outdoor activities,” MaryAnn said. “Being out of the house. We had a wonderful environment growing up, we were blessed to have areas to play.
“She (Gloria) saw how this environment made us healthier. More energized, more diversified in how we developed our skills. We felt free to explore those and she encouraged that.”
Gloria did find ways of her own to exercise. She became a great distance walker, even in her 90s. This love of movement lasted right up until the very end.
“My brother, Kevin, was going to take her outside in a wheelchair the other day,” Mike said. “She said, ‘what’s that?’ He said, ‘it’s a wheelchair, I’m going to take you outside.’
Race calendar
Saturday
55th annual Mill Street Run 5K, 8 a.m., Bristol. Contact www.runsignup.com
Joe Connor stands alongside a statue on the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine, Fla. upon the completion of a week-long 500-mile bike ride from Savannah, Georgia.
