STEVE MCCONKEY QUICK FACTS 2

—-JOHNNY CASH. Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, the Carter Family, and the Statler Brothers performed at the KRNT theater in Des Moines, Iowa on April 21, 1968 at 3pm. Steve went to the concert with a friend and the friend’s father. It was the first time he had been to a concert. Earlier in January, Cash performed at Folsom Prison and the record of that performance was released in May, shortly after the Des Moines concert. There were some gospel songs during the Des Moines concert.

—-CLEM HASKINS. While Steve was a grad assistant coach at Western Kentucky University, Clem Haskins was the basketball coach. Steve visited with him while there. Haskins was a very successful player at WKU and in the NBA. He went on to successfully coach at WKU and the University of Minnesota. While at the University of Minnesota, they made the Final Four. Eventually, Jan Gangelhoff, the manager of the school’s academic counseling office, admitted to writing papers for the players. UM was disciplined and lost games that they had won during that time, even stripped of their 1997 Big 10 title and Final Four performance. Here is the twist. Gangelhoff grew up in Danbury, Wisconsin, Steve’s hometown. He went to school with some of her family. While Steve coached his son’s basketball team in grade school, Gangelhoff’s nephew was on the team.

—-WOODY HAYES. Some consider Ohio State University’s Woody Hayes to be one of the best college coaches ever. His temper did him in at the end of his career. While at the 1986 Jesse Owens Classic track and field meet, they had a reception for the coaches. Steve was able to visit with Hayes. He died in 1987. The track meet was held at the Ohio Stadium, home of OSU football. The track was eventually removed after OSU’s track and field team moved to the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in 2001.

—-EVANDER HOLYFIELD. At the 2005 USA Track and Field Championships in Los Angeles, Steve was able to visit Evander Holyfield. Evander was on the infield and took the time to visit. He likes track and field and was there to support various athletes participating. Evander won the bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He was a world champion boxer for years.

—-TOM LESTER. Tom Lester played farmhand Eb Dawson on the Green Acres TV series from 1965 through 1971. Later, he became an evangelist. While at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Tom and Steve, plus others, went to the beaches of Venice Beach to share the gospel.

—-TIA NELSON. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Superior, Steve attended classes with Tia Nelson. She is the daughter of US Senator and Governor Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day. Tia is an environmental activist. She held various positions at The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, and the Climate program at the Outrider Foundation. She is a radical.

—-BUCK OWENS. On his way to the 1981 USA Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Steve had to catch a flight in Nashville. This was Steve’s first national championship. He was going to Sacramento to become the coach of Athletes in Action. While in the airport, he ran into Buck Owens and the cast of Hee Haw, the famous TV program.

—-WILLIAM PROXMIRE. The longest running senator in Wisconsin history. He served from 1957 to 1989. In the 1970s, while Steve sat in his father’s restaurant in Cozy Corner, Proxmire came to visit those that were there. He was on a swing through the area as the restaurant was on Highway 35 in the middle of nowhere. Proxmire created the Golden Fleece Award exposing wasteful spending in Washington DC and was a jogging pioneer.

—-DAVID SOUL. David Soul was an actor and singer. He played Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the American television series Starsky & Hutch from 1975 to 1979. While at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Steve was able to visit him with others. At the time, David was breaking into the music industry.

—-DONNA SUMMER. Donna Summer was a world famous singer in the 1970s. She was known as the “Queen of Disco.” Donna gained a global following and eventually committed her life to the Lord. During the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Steve shared his testimony at a church. Donna and her crew were there and they had dinner together. She sang gospel music during the church meeting.

—-REGGIE WHITE. Reggie White was a defensive end who played in the NFL for fifteen seasons. Reggie played college football at the University of Tennessee. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. Reggie won the Super Bowl with the Packers. He was one of the best defensive players ever. Steve got to know Reggie over the years. At a track meet that Steve held in the Minneapolis area, he ran a race with other NFL football players. One thing that Steve remembers is that Reggie held their little baby in the palm of his hand.

TRACK & FIELD

—-BILL BOWERMAN. The University of Oregon’s world famous coach Bill Bowerman coached many great athletes, including Steve Prefontaine. While at the 1984 Olympic Trials in Los Angeles, Steve shared the Lord with him at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Bill was the co-founder of Nike and developed shoes for them in their early years.

—-STEPHANIE BROWNE-TRAFTON. Stephanie Browne-Trafton won the discus gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Only three American women have won the discus at the Olympics. After winning the gold medal, Stephanie shared the gospel worldwide. She helped with the impromptu Bible studies in the Olympic Village. Steve was encouraged to see the athletes take a stand in a country that persecutes Christians. He has known Stephanie for years. She and her husband are avid hunters.

—-GLENN CUNNINGHAM. At the Drake Relays, Steve was able to visit with Glenn and his wife. They walked to an event together. In 1936, he won the 1500m silver at the Olympics. This was the same Olympics where Jesse Owens won four gold medals defying Adolph Hitler. They went on to help thousands of orphans. Steve talked to him about his Christian faith. He overcame bad burns on his legs as a kid in a school fire. It took him two years to walk again. His brother died in the fire. His favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint.”

—-BILL DELLINGER. After winning a bronze medal at the 1964 Olympics, Bill Dellinger became one of the best coaches in the USA. He coached at the University of Oregon, the same university where he competed at. While living in Eugene, Oregon, Steve got to know Bill. Oregon allowed post-collegiate athletes to train at their Hayward Field. After Dan McClimon died in a plane crash on April 14, 1983, Steve talked to Bill about it while they both were coaching at Hayward Field. Dan was the successful coach at the University of Wisconsin. Steve was notified that Dan had died in a plane crash after visiting a potential athlete.

—-RUSS HODGE. Russ Hodge set the world record holder in the decathlon in 1966 and competed at the 1964 Olympics. Russ’s mother was Alice Arden, who placed ninth in the high jump at the 1936 Olympics. They are the only mother-son Olympians in the history of the United States. Steve and Russ have been friends for years. Russ is a Christian and was active in Olympic ministry.

—-ALBERTO JUANTERENO. Alberto Juantereno was a great athlete from Cuba. He won gold medals in the 400m and the 800m at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. In the 800m, he set the world record. Foreign athletes used to compete at the USA Track and Field Championships. At the 1981 Championships, Steve shared the gospel with Alberto in Sacramento through an interpreter. He listened and was with other Cubans. Alberto was a communist and worked in various Cuban sports organizations. While talking to Steve, he was personable. This was the first famous athlete that Steve shared the gospel with. Also, this was the first USA Track and Field Championships that Steve attended.

—-CARL LEWIS. In 1983, Steve and family moved to Dallas-Fort Worth to work with Lay Witnesses for Christ. Steve was the USA National Track and Field Club Coach. Carl Lewis signed The Athletics Congress (TAC) card to be a part of the team. However, the people that were in charge of Carl started to complain. The leader of LWFC gave Steve the TAC card and told him to decide what to do. After thinking about it, Steve ripped the card up. The only mistake he made was that he threw the card away. Steve decided that Carl had good leadership and he would get in the way as he was just beginning. Carl went on to win nine Olympic golds and one silver in his career. Carl continued working with LWFC as a speaker. They had meetings together.

—-ARTHUR LYDIARD, PETER SNELL. In 1999, Steve visited Arthur Lydiard in Minneapolis while he did a lecture. He was a famous coach from New Zealand who coached many Olympic medalists. Arthur created a training system that stressed mileage running. It spread worldwide and many athletes use his training methods. One of his athletes was Peter Snell, three-time gold medalist. At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Peter won the 800m and 1500m. Steve was able to visit Peter at the University of Minnesota in 2003. He was able to share the Lord with Lydiard through correspondence before he died. Lydiard was a pioneer of jogging to get into shape.

—-MADELINE MANNING MIMS. Madeline Manning Mims won a 800m gold medal at the 1968 Olympics and a 4x400m silver at the 1972 Olympics. She was diagnosed with spinal meningitis and was not expected to live at age three. Madeline recovered but was sick through her teens. She went on to become one of the best runners in the United States. Madeline has been active in chaplain work with Olympic athletes. Steve has known Madeline for years. They have crossed paths at many championship events.

—-HENRY RONO. Henry Rono was one of the best distance runners ever. He competed at Washington State University. In 1978 in the span of 81 days, he broke four world records: 10,000m, 5000m, 3000SC, and the 3000m. Henry never competed at the Olympics as Kenya boycotted in 1976 and 1980. While living in Eugene, Oregon, Steve saw Henry walking down the road with a top hat on. He regrets not picking him up to talk. Later in life, Steve was able to talk to Henry about the Lord. He confessed Christ. Henry overcame alcoholism and eventually went back to Kenya before he died.

—-CRAIG VIRGIN. Craig Virgin was a two-time World Cross Country Champion and two-time US Olympic team member. He was one of the top runners in the 10,000m in 1980 and won the US Olympic Trials. However, the US team boycotted the Olympics denying Craig an opportunity. Steve started his Facebook page to get him into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame. Shortly afterwards, Craig made the Hall. Now, Craig operates the page. Also, Steve started British Olympian Nick Rose’s Facebook page. Nick and Craig had some great races against each other.