Evening star., 1932-05-16
FRUGAL F|NLANDER
BONA F|DE TO|LER
Life Has Been Struggle for
Famous Runner, Eldest
OF Orphaned Farlh.
By star Correspondent Of The star.
T TELSINGFORS, Finland, Ma.
~ 16.-A good deal has beer
4 written abroad questioninf

lT VELSINGFORS, Finland, MaH
| - 16.-A good deal has beer
Il written abroad questioninf
the amateur status oi
Paavo Nurmi, Finnish running
champion, and it has been limited
that his employment in Finland
Is actually a cloak for concealed
| payments made him so he may
| carry on as an athlete.
These stories are entirely untrue anc
| some say they were invented in Sweden
| Swedes and Firms do not care rapct
for each other. The people of FINLAND
know Nurmi's integrity. They condemn
what they say are intrigues to keeJ
| Nurmi out of the coming Olympic
games, for which at present he stands
| disqualified, on the charge that he re-
| ceived excessive expenses. There is
| talk OF Finnish boycott Of the games
| If Nurmi is not reinstated by the In
| ternational Amateur Athletic Fedora
| ton.
MO one who knews anything about
IN Nurmi's training and the hard
work it has taken him to reach
his perfect form can doubt that in dis
charging his daily duties Nurmi is a
bona fide worker. He has a passion
for work
This quality was early put to test.
Paavo lost his father when he was IL,
and as the eldest boy he had to sup
plement the earnings Of his mother for
the support of the four younger chill
| dren.
He had long working days as ap-'
prentice in a machine shop. At home
he helped his mother in her housework..
His scanty income did not permit even
modest pleasures, which made it easy
for him later in life to keep up his
ascetic living.
After serving his term in the army
Nurmi decided to improve his educa-
ton. He moved to Helsingfors and at
tended the Industrial School. He COM
pleted the three-year course of me-
chanical engineering at the top of his
class, distinguishing himself in mathe-
matics.
LIE led solitary life, lodging in a
i i single room rented from a city
library janitor. and situated in the
basement of the library. From that
time on he kept the same room as his
headquarters in the capital, and the
janitor's wife became his best trainer"
according to him.
A year before the Olympic games at
Paris Nurmi was appointed a machine
designer for an electrical firm in
Helsingfors. His '7orking day was from
z m. until pm. He started his train
ing walk at 5:35 am, and took his
track exercises in the evening.
AS a result Nurmi acquired a fitness
of mind and body few other athletes
have had. This was evident at the
Paris games and during his American
tour
A FEW years later he moved back to
IA his home town, Turku, where he
worked for an automobile firm.
He found the work did not require all
the physical exertion he needed, SO to
keep in condition he took an engine
filters job in Helsingfors. The factory
was a considerable distance from his
lodging and he always walked.
Living simply and working hard,
Nurmi finally found himself able to take
a vacation every Summer He found 1t
more difficult, as he grew older, to keep
his form. He had to train harder and
his vacations were periods of intensive
athletic work. For man of his habits
these Summer holidays do not mean
much financial outlay, despite all that
is said by those who charge profess
Sionalism
In the Fall Nurmi returns to his job.
He spent last Winter working in fac
tory A short while ago he went TO his
mothers home to start training for the
Los Angeles games, probably his last big
athletic event, if he is permitted to taxa
part in them After the games he ex-
poets to marry.
(Copyright. 1892. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)
----s---------
D. C. CRICKETERS BEATEN.
BALTIMORE, May 6.-washington
Cricket Club suffered a 56-25 defeat
yesterday at the hands Of the Baltimore
club.