“We were in Shreveport about three years ago, and I was getting fitted for some new shoes. It was probably my favorite sport that and baseball. “I’ve been in track meets with Ruston people such as Pat Garrett, James Anderson, and Sammy Simonton. “Growing up in Haynesville, I ran track, and I loved to run,” Robert said. Hailing from Haynesville just a few parishes away, Robert graduated from Haynesville High School in 1958 and that was the last time he ran competitively in track for about 60 years. Robert Reeder literally learned how to run again at the age of 79 and has now, three years later, become one of the top runners in the southern United States in the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter dashes with recent times of 9.33 seconds, 18.57, and 41.26, respectively. At first, it seemed like his story would be about his race running and finishing with some impressive hardware in a few interstate competitions for track over the past year.īut it was over a cup of coffee in the Reeder’s home that I realized there was a fantastic story to tell: one of a man with deep roots in the North Louisiana running circuit back in the 50’s and who will never know the words “old” or “quit.” As we visited together in his living room on a Friday morning in north Lincoln Parish with his adoring wife and biggest fan, Lajuana, I found myself humbled in the presence of a soft-spoken man who rediscovered a deep passion for running and racing just three years ago after hanging up his shoes for nearly five decades. I was alerted of this by a dear friend and loyal reader of the Lincoln Parish Journal a few weeks ago.
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