Michael “Mick” Graham loved to run — but even more, he loved giving back to his community.
Graham, one of Saskatchewan’s fastest road runners who spent decades teaching, coaching and officiating, is presumed dead after disappearing following his departure from City Hospital on Dec. 16. He was 77.
“Mick was the most interesting, caring, and sincere athlete I’ve met. He welcomed everyone equally, accepted people as they were,” says Jim Jasieniuk, who met Graham in 1973 when Jasieniuk was a freshman on the University of Saskatchewan cross country team and Graham, a few years older, was an unofficial leader. The two went on to develop a friendship that lasted the rest of Graham’s life.
“He started so many things by just a good example and good deeds, and he had an effect on people. Everybody that met him was affected by him somehow.”
Graham, who spent a career as an elementary school teacher in Saskatoon largely working in special education, was a regular fixture on road race podiums throughout the province in the 1970s and ’80s. His accolades include winning the 1983 Saskatchewan Marathon in 2:32:50 and setting back-to-back course records at the 20-mile Regina Molson Golden Marathon in 1972 and 1973 (1:51:18 and 1:48:22). Jasieniuk, who set the provincial marathon record in 1979, believes Graham was the former record holder, though Saskatchewan Athletics does not have records that go back prior to Jasieniuk’s record and neither Jasieniuk nor Saskatchewan Athletics know what Graham’s record time was or when it was run.
“Mick, at one time, would place in the top three of between half and three quarters of the races he entered. Most of his times – like a 2:26 marathon – were run in shoes that were like three layers of cardboard on the bottom and one on the sides. No cushioning, no support, no fancy gels or torsion bars,” Jasieniuk says. “There was no such thing as stop watches worn on your wrist that could give you splits or tell you if you were on pace. You did that in your head as you ran. There was no such thing as pacers with bunny ears guiding you. Mick knew his body and how to pace himself.”
Despite his success in the sport – and although he ran for most of his life until his health deteriorated – Graham never allowed running to define him, Jasieniuk says. He was more interested in supporting his teammates and, later, his students than in chasing personal accolades. Graham was a fierce advocate for human rights, an avid traveller and a lover of music. He enjoyed challenging people to think differently and never liked drawing attention to himself.
“He was a vegetarian all his running life, meditated every day, usually more than once a day, and did yoga. He swam often. He thought deeply about the meaning of life, valued life, appreciated life and was grateful for all the good life had offered,” Jasieniuk says. “He did the work and got the results. He was respected so much for being a wonderful athlete, teammate and person.”
A memorial for Graham will take place on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. in the common dining room of the Wolf Willow cohousing community, where Graham lived.
