Left to Right: Gordon Gallenger, Brian Scott, Peter Maher, Bill Ward.  A running reunion at Isla Del Sol

A reunion with Peter Maher June 2, 2007

by Travis Skaggs Licensed Massage Therapist

I was quite surprised and delighted to receive a telephone call from Peter Maher informing me that he was vacationing at the Beach House Suites by the Don Cesar Hotel in St Pete Beach, Florida and would love to see me.  Peter currently lives in Ireland where he operates Maher Sports Therapy and also sells custom orthotics. 

 Peter was almost a three  time Olympian who competed in Seoul (1988) and Barcelona (1992) and would have been at Atlanta in 1996 expect for an unfortunate injury.  He won numerous marathons during his career, ran the worlds fastest 25000 meter time (1991), won the oldest continuing running road race in North America (Around the Bay 30k Road Race) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada a record 5 times. His fastest time was 1:33.  He also Finished 4TH at the New York City Marathon in (1991)

When I look back at turning points in my life, the Great Gainesville 5kRoad race would be one of them. I had never intended to offer post event massage after the race, only to run it in under 18 minutes.  It was just prior to the race, Hal, the race director told me that the people he had planned to do massage after the race were not coming.  He asked me to help because I was a member of  Florida Track Club who put on the race.  I always carried a massage table in my car, so I retrieved it and went to work.   Numerous people lined up to get on my table.  One of them was a very tall, thin scary looking man who introduced himself as Peter Maher.  He liked my work and hired me  to massage and stretch him for  2 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 I also did some traveling with him including going to Grandma's Marathon  in June of 1992 which he used for a training run.  Later, we both moved to St. Petersburg, Florida.  Peter chose to live at Isla del Sol because it was perfect for his training on the grass around the golf course.  A loop was a little over 3 miles. He trained many talented individuals through his St. Petersburg Olympian running club and referred all of them to me for sports massage

My massage career has been very busy for 17 years and my early association with Peter Maher has helped greatly. 

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