A Miner And A Thrower And A Giver. Giving Is What He Does Best.

Bill Pearson, 73, runs mine explorations. He digs for gold. The man is not a taker. He is a giver. Photo by Shaggysphotos.

 

By Ray Glier

Bill Pearson, 73, had a career of 50+ years in mine exploration. One highlight was the 2001-02 reclamation of what became the second largest gold mine in Brazil. Given that gold hit $5,000 an ounce the first time ever Jan. 26 it was not an insignificant reawakening. That mine is producing about 200,000 ounces of gold….a year.

“It had more to give,” Bill said about that mine in Bahia, Brazil.

Geezer Jock needed to tell that story because Pearson is lit up with the idea of “give” and coaxing people to give more. Like that Brazil mine, he knows each of us has something to give in our dripping cultural of take.

You gotta sit still for four minutes and let me preach to you about responsiveness. And, yes, you will learn something valuable about fitness.

Bill is a builder, and he has been manager since 2003 of one of the strongest throwing centers in southern Ontario, simply named The Throwers Club. It is a club for Masters (30+ years), but the Ontario Throws Summit, a competition the club hosts, is for all ages. Pearson and the club connect school-age throwers with coaches and recommend equipment. He has also donated his own resources to the cause.

I can’t think of a more appropriate metaphor than the quote below for what he does for throwers and what he did for a career.

“I've run explorations in every province in Canada, except PEI (Prince Edward Island), a few in the U.S., and 17 countries around the world, everything from grassroots exploration through advanced mine development. I worked on resuscitating old mines. 

“A bulk of my career has been precious metals, principally gold and silver.”

There you go. He works with young throwers, older throwers, and some in Masters track & field. Pearson is the kind of coach who can help you reach your potential, if that is what you want. You might go on to strike gold and silver (medals).

Bill, who is in the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame, has been ranked No. 1 in the throws in theNorth, Central American and Caribbean Masters Athletics Championships,but it seems to me his purpose is to give other throwers opportunity. 

Here is the Geezer Jock imperative. You might not be a superstar, but that doesn’t mean you can’t teach. Ted Williams, the last to hit .400 in Major League Baseball, was a crummy manager. “The Great One”, Wayne Gretzky, was not a very good NHL coach.

You should read about Bill in a short Q&A because this guy wipes out the cynicism of take. Best of all, he gives athletic tips for all sports.

Why are you still out there throwing the shot, hammer, and discus at 73?

“If you want to stay fit when you're older, find a reason to stay fit. If you're just going to work out to feel better, I don't think it works. We need that competitive outlet. The big thing with Masters track & field is you have to train. It doesn't mean you have to train like you're trying to be in the Olympics, but you have to maintain a reasonable degree of fitness to be able to actually compete.”

Why is it important in your 40s, 50s, 60s to stay fit?

“I got a summer mining job because the boss said the previous summer he had weak, sickly assistant that could hardly carry his backpack. I was definitely muscled up (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) and would pack out 200 percussion samples. It was 70 pounds, or more.

“It turned out to be a phenomenal summer. I started off as an assistant, by the end of the summer I was helping run the program. I always tell that story because don't underestimate your extra-curricular activities.”

(The point is Pearson’s fitness mattered to what he did in everyday life.)

You had two hip surgeries, the last in 2024. What is your focus in getting back to doing your best?

I had the last operation February of 2024, so by February 2025 I was feeling better. But, of course, my strength wasn't there. And one of the big things in throwing is explosiveness. Because of the operation my strength in my legs was okay, but the explosiveness was not there. So that's one of the things I've been working with my trainer to try and get a little bit of explosive back. Your strength in the throw doesn't come from your arm, it comes from your legs. 

And the other thing was to get the core strength back up. I've been working with my trainer a couple of days a week, just working on core strength. Of course, I have to relearn the technique again. That's my project.

What is your advice for a somebody coming back from serious surgery?

“Follow the outline from your doctors, or physio (therapist) and follow it religiously. You have to be patient. You're not going to come back super rapidly. And the thing with physio is it's one of these things where you don't really notice the change from day to day, but all of a sudden, after a month, you can do something you couldn’t do the month before. 

“The other thing I feel really strongly about for older athletes is pay attention to your flexibility. If you're very tight, and you have no range, you're instantly reducing the distance you can throw. Do exercises that add more flexibility in the hips and the shoulders.”

What is one example of a reward for giving so much time to throwing?

“In past years, we rarely had very many young women in hammer, maybe one or two or three. Last year we had 14, they were in their early to later teens. A couple of young women, I think they're about 15 or 16, my goodness, they're amazing. They are so fast. And you can just see that as they get a little bit older, a little stronger, and they get a little more balanced on the technique, they're going to do well.”

(So, in other words, if you are a Geezer Jock in any sport, teach who’s next and be rewarded).

What do people need to know about giving back, perhaps by building a sports program for Masters?

“It just bothers me when people complain about stuff, and then they don't do anything. Well, we need people to go out there and do things.

“When you're running (mine) exploration programs as long as I have, you're in charge of the program, how the program runs, and how it succeeds is very much dependent on the leadership and building a team. I would compare putting an exploration team together like building a hockey team. You need a goalie, you need good defense, you need forwards, you need a variety of skills, and it's no different than exploration.”

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