GARY WESTERFIELD

Gary Westerfield has served our sport in almost every way imaginable. Starting as an athlete, he also has been a high school coach (Smithtown High School 1975 to 1980, and 1987 to 2000); a collegiate coach (SUNY Stony Brook 1980 to 1985); an IAAF Judge; writer of educational materials; administrator (Race Walk Chair for both Metropolitan Athletics Congress (MAC) and Long Island Track and Field (LITF), as well as current president of LITF); and race organizer.

When race walking was part of the NY high school program, Westerfield

was a magnet for talent. If you were on Long Island and were serious about race walking, you sought out Westerfield. Coaching the likes of Susan Liers, Lynn Wiek, Tommy Edwards, Curtis Fisher, and even myself, Westerfield was well represented in international competition.

From 1984 to 1988, Westerfield also served as coach of the Women’s National Program as well as National Team coordinator. As coordinator, he sought to bring science to the race walking world.

In 1997 he co-authored the book WalkLike an Athlete and has continued to write about the biomechanics of race walking since.