Sad News and a Loss for Calgary and it's athletic community.

On Friday morning I woke up to an email from my friend Kathy Taerum informing me that one of the pillars of Calgary's athletic volunteer community had passed away.  Jim Clampett was embedded in the Calgary athletic community devoting endless volunteer hours at the finish line manning the timer and handling the results at numerous running events including the Calgary Roadrunners Cross Country Events, The Saint Patricks Day 10km and the Ice Breaker.

I talked to Jim last Saturday about Calgary Road Runner political stuff, racing, and so on. One of those conversations that never ends, it just picks up and drops off at every event or function we crossed paths, which seemed like all the time. A conversation I didn't know would have such a sudden end.

Jim timed my event, the Nose Hill Cross Country 4/8km race. I volunteer host this for the Calgary Road Runners each year. The most recent was on Feb. 8th two weeks ago. It was bitterly cold and extremely windy. While I was flagging the course, through the back of my mind I was hoping that all my volunteers would show up for marshaling, manning the community hall, and helping with registration. One volunteer I didn't even have a single second thought about was Jim, who arrived early as always and was there right to the end.

Jim was a tireless advocate for athletics and a person I would always point out to my daughter for his never-ending volunteering and enthusiasm for being able to help out. I will miss Jim and hope I can continue to lead by example the way he did right to the end.

I model Speed Theory Cycling in a lot of ways after the Calgary Road Runners, the club Jim was intricately a valued and long-time board member.

Many in this club will want to know when the memorial service is. The Calgary Road Runners will update their announcement page here as soon as the details are announced.

Jim at the timing station on the left. Weaslehead XC race Feb. 22nd 2014.