Funny valentines and inspirational stories of toughness

Funny Valentines - Kevin and Laurie Milnes have been married for 43 years. At the Valentine’s Day 5K in Rehoboth Beach Feb. 15, the couple crossed the finish line dressed in hearts. One had “LO” the other had “VE.” “My husband is a good sport. He goes along with my craziness once in a while,” Laurie said after their 5K race Feb. 15. The Milnes have two postal addresses, Marcus Hook (The Hook) and Oak Orchard. I have been photographing Laurie running since 2013 when she joined the local Certified Running Nuts. In her own words responding to my  questions, “I am a nursing assistant at Nemours in Wilmington in the outpatient hematology/oncology clinic. I’m on my 25th year there. My husband is a truck driver by trade and works for a company that delivers to McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. He’s been at his job for almost 38 years. We have been married since Dec. 9, 1982! I donated a kidney on June 5, 2024 to my 39-year-old daughter who is a single mom to three children. We live in Boothwyn, Pa. We own a home in the Oak Orchard area and plan on living here full time, not soon enough! I started running with the Certified Running Nuts in 2013. I should mention we have two other daughters and a son, and six grandchildren with another one due in three weeks! I actually work in the Lisa Dean Mosley Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders in the hospital.”

Blood time - Colin Poulis wrestles 144 pounds for the Cape varsity team. It is always a stacked weight class. The senior is “the show up kid,” a lean, fit and handsome young man – both his parents are at every match. He is lucky; some may say, blessed. He is unbeaten, defined as, never giving up. His season record is below .500. Colin will have trouble qualifying for states at this weekend’s conference tournament. Lots of great kids don’t make it to the final round, but they are embracing a bigger picture that true teammates understand. The wrestling room, the workouts, exhaustion, pushing through the pain barrier – taking it to the limit. “So put me on a highway, and show me a sign, and take it to the limit one more time” – The Eagles.

Awkward moment - Jor Awkward, 64, a blind athlete, ran the Valentine’s Day 5K Feb. 15, tethered to Debbie Isser. They crossed into the finish chute together at 30:45. Debbie, 70, is the female age group state record holder for the 5K distance in 22:06. An amazing Valentine’s moment of friendship.  

Country Pride - Ice hockey is Canada’s national sport. Their national anthem “Oh Canada” is more rousing and inspiring than “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Both anthems were sung by the same person in Montreal Saturday night. Canadian fans booed the American anthem, and I think I understood why, but the announcers never went there. The puck dropped and there were three fights in the first nine seconds. Announcers quoting players, “The name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.” The first period of the game was insane; the hits along the boards, players being lifted out of their skates. The officials worked to stay out of the way. USA won 3-1 and guaranteed a spot in the championship final Thursday, Feb. 20, in Boston. Their opponent will be either Sweden, Finland or Canada. “Oh Canada we stand on guard for thee.” Just keep helmets on. Flyers fans remember in 1976 when the Broad Street Bullies beat the Soviet Red Army team at the Spectrum in front of a worldwide audience of half a billion. As of 2024, there were 146 active Russian players in the NHL, including the Great Eight Alex Ovechkin, but team Russian was not invited to the tournament because of sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.  

Annoying winner versus sore losers - I can see brooding after a championship loss, but how long should that last? I know for some it's forever, but at least people are mostly silent about it. “I can’t believe we lost.” “Lost what and when?” Eagles fans in 2025, with more platforms than the Sea World megaplex, will never be quiet about the 2025 Super Bowl run that ended with a beatdown of the Chiefs. Sports comedian and impressionist Joe Conklin did a routine years ago saying, “When Eagles fans die, they don’t go into heaven; they just stand outside and tailgate, booing the Lord. Boo! Heaven sucks!” 

Snippets - I’m not sure if I should be more fearful of snowmageddon or a bomb cyclone. I am mostly fearful of ordinary people who track bad weather a week away using American and European models. The impact of weather on scholastic sports schedules is a major concern, coming in behind heat and cable television. Go on now, git!.