A Coach's Unstoppable Spirit: Running Through Challenges

Mike Fleming is a man who knows how to keep moving. At 79, he has run in every Bloomsday since it started in 1977. That's 49 years of running! He's not just a runner, though. He's also a coach and a physical education teacher. He's coached pole vault, cross country, gymnastics, and volleyball. Now, he coaches pole vault at Whitworth University. Running has always been a big part of Fleming's life. He started in high school, where he was motivated by rewards like special sweatsuits and pins for his letterman's jacket. He even ran marathons and has a unique birthday tradition: running four miles on a track every year on his birthday. Fleming moved to the area in the mid-1970s to work at Mead High School. It was a natural fit for him to sign up for the first Bloomsday. He saw it as a fun way to set a good example for his students. And so, a new tradition was born.But Bloomsday hasn't always been easy for Fleming. He's had health issues like osteoarthritis, shoulder replacements, and a heart condition called cardiac arrhythmia. In 2014, he even ran Bloomsday with a cane because he postponed his hip replacement surgery. He also remembers a particularly tough race where he struggled to finish after an intense workout. One of Fleming's favorite Bloomsday memories didn't even happen during an official race. In 2020, when Bloomsday was postponed due to COVID-19, Fleming ran the course anyway. He was pleasantly surprised to find members of the Spokane Distance Project handing out unofficial T-shirts that said, "I still ran. " Fleming is looking forward to the 50th Bloomsday and as many more as he can manage after that. He trains six days a week, running between three and seven miles each time. He compares himself to an old Ford from the '50s, saying, "I have dings and dents. " But he's not ready to stop anytime soon. As he puts it, "Why would you stop doing something when you can still do it? "