Denis Villeneuve
Episode 169
25 APR 2022
He has been running for almost 49 years and has run over 72,000 miles, which means he has averaged running four miles a day for almost 49 years. Three years ago, he won the State of Washington 6K Cross Country Championship and the Regional Championship. Back in his college days he started at the University of Oregon and participated in multiple intramural sports and ran on his own, including running his first marathon, before transferring to Oregon College for his junior year, running cross country and track there. He had been a wrestler in high school, although he did end up doing cross country as well. He has also coached extensively, including getting a job in the fall of 1984 at Redmond High School, where he coached cross country and track and didn’t retire until June of last year.
Notable guest quotes:
“Both of my parents were cradle Catholics and so I was born a cradle Catholic… and so I grew up from the church and just never left and attended Mass pretty much on a regular basis for all these years and no matter where I’ve been or what I’ve done I’ve kept that kind of going along and it’s a very comforting part of my life.”
“My parents were very devout, and they always made sure we were either in a school or in a CCD program or something of that nature, and then, going to Mass and practicing the sacraments.”
“My parents moved, and I went to a Catholic school in the nearby city and then we moved back to Eugene, and I went to a different Catholic school.”
“I like running alone more than with a group… I like my time out there in nature, just me and my thoughts. And certainly, many prayers and meditations… have occurred during those countless miles.”
(running alone) “it’s a good stress reliever and it feels like a good connection with God.”
“They had a Newman Center at (University of) Oregon and so that was fun to go to to meet like-minded people… so it was nice to have a place to go to meet with people that were… more in tune with the things that I was interested in… And then when I transferred to Oregon College of Education… they also had a very nice Newman Center… Our priest there was wonderful, and he actually presided at my wife and I’s wedding later in life.”
“My focus in coaching was always the healthy mind-body connection and I always taught virtues and values that you could apply to running but also to the classroom and then to relationships, your job, your personal life, et cetera.”
“It turns out that she was Catholic, and that she was going to the Newman Center also… and then we went on a Newman Center retreat and started going out after that and haven’t stopped since… It will be 42 years (of marriage) in July.”
“We’ve been doing a Sunday night rosary every Sunday night at 8pm (virtually)… and each family dedicates intentions to whatever… So, it’s a good end of the day for Sunday.”
“I joined the (church) choir initially… and then I decided I’d rather lector, so I’ve been lectoring for, like, 30-plus years, and then I did a bunch of other stuff with St. Vincent de Paul and parish council and RCIA… We’ve been on church retreats… We’re very much involved… We’re always chipping in one way or the other.”
