Ring. Ring. Ring… “Hello?” “Yes, this is Joe Dexter.” “Man, I sure hope you can help me,” whined Newbie Race Director. “I am putting on a 5K race in the morning. I am a member of the ‘save the world’ fraternity-sorority society and we are raising money for the most obscure disease you have never heard of. We heard all you have to do is call Gulf Winds and they make everything happen.” “Yes, but it is 11:15 on Friday night,” Joe said. “Are you sure you can pull this off tomorrow?” “Well, I called that Yon guy, the one who writes for the Democrat. He told me I was nuts. He said my only chance was to call a ‘superhero’ then he hung up on me.” I went to the GWTC web site and found this race called The Flash 12K. You were the director, so I figured you must be some kind of superhero.” “Ok, ok, where does the race start?” Joe asked. “I am not sure,” Newbie responded. “I think it is somewhere on College Avenue. By the way, how long is a 5K?”
Of
course, our superhero Joe Dexter loaded the trailer full of race equipment and
drove it out to the race long before the sun came up the next morning. He
stopped on the way to pick up Bill Lott, the only other superhero crazy enough
to rescue such groups from themselves, and somehow they made the race a success.
It is a story that has been repeated time and time again since Joe became the
equipment manager for GWTC so many years ago. What others would consider
“nonsense” and irresponsible, Joe finds a challenge and an opportunity to help.
Joe has been the director of one of Tallahassee’s best “little” races, The Flash
12K, since 1989. He has been in Tallahassee since July of 1970 and directed over
100 races during his time here. That was plenty enough to be inducted into the
GWTC Hall of Fame and named Race Director of the Year. But what really makes Joe
so special is his willingness to help out almost anyone at almost any time. He
believes strongly that the small not so well known races offer runners a very
unique and special opportunity and spread the gospel of good health to people
who otherwise would miss out on the very special sport we all love so much. Nadine is the perfect match for Joe. She has never met a willing person she did not believe she could convert into, not just a runner, but an athlete. She has built a beginning running class from people who could barely walk around a track into a family of “athletes” that learned to attack and love hitting the local trails while becoming runners and exercisers. She also learned how to direct races by working side by side with Joe until ready to fly on her own with the FSU Cares race a product of the FSU Medical School. She has been a member of the GWTC board for many years and an inspiration to its entire membership. She was recognized in 2004 as the winner of the Cleveland-Caldwell Advancement of the Sport Award.
We will of course miss them tremendously. But rest assured, Orlando will gain as the Dexters will infuse enthusiasm and know how into that running community. They will find many opportunities to help new runners learn to love the sport and to help panicked race directors who call at 11:15 at night needing more help than they know.
We won’t say good bye because we know they will not be far away and hopefully they will come “home” a lot. So instead, we just say “Thanks.”