In the world of the athletic, steroid-induced screw-up, chances are fairly strong you have never heard of Colorado Springs, Colorado native, Don Ramos. Mr. Ramos is neither a baseball or football player, and in fact he is close to three times the age of most of the oldest athletes in those sports.
Don Ramos is an 80-Year-Old weightlifter who was recently banned for testing positive for steroids by USADA, the United States Anti-doping Agency.
In an article for the Bleacher Report by Senior Writer Chris Cornell (August 31, 2013), it was reported that the octogenarian was competing at the Pan American Masters Weightlifting Championships when he had to submit to steroid testing. He tested positive. Even more amazing, he is among several Master’s and Senior competitors who have tested positive over the recent years.
Ramos was already the title holder in his age group at the USA Weightlifting Masters National Championship and he was going for a new world’s record.
According to the press release of the testing agency:
“USADA was contracted to test the Pan American Masters Weightlifting Championships, which is an event for athletes 35 and older, in Chicago, Ill. June 14 – June 16, 2013. Ramos, 80, tested positive for the presence of a steroid of exogenous origin as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected on June 14, 2013 while he was attempting to set a world record.”
As Chris Cornell wrote:
“The same organization that took down Lance Armstrong has done the same to a senior citizen.”
It would almost be hilarious, if it didn’t say several serious things about present day society.
Start with Applause
I admire anyone of any age who not only cares enough about her or his health and physical fitness to not only train but to compete at the highest levels of a sport. Whether a cross country cyclist, tennis player, Taekwon-Do competitor or a body builder, I cannot fathom any reason why an 80 year old who is able to compete should not compete.
Medical science is stretching its attitudes and frontiers in regard to these matters. I applaud anyone who tries. In fact, I applaud the competitor who finished second to Mr. Ramos. As for Mr. Ramos – not so much.
We can rationalize almost anything in life. In present day society the rationalization for ethical mistakes seems to expand with each passing day.
We can rationalize that something doesn’t matter if we’re caught doing something wrong. We can say, “Well, everyone does it, so why not me?” We can even tell ourselves, “It’s my time to stand on the podium for a change and not in someone else’s shadow.”
If the thought of an 80 year old on steroids seems too ridiculous a story, what about a 17 year old junior in high school trying to get into a Division I football program? Stories abound about teens that have been caught “juicing.” Is that not every bit as ridiculous? In fact, there are several arguments to suggest the down-side for the 17 year old is far, far greater. Many athletes have paid the price for youthful steroid abuse.
Motivation
In the overall scheme of things, an 80 year old amateur weightlifter taking steroids is not an event that will bring the world to its knees. There will be snickers, and head shaking and such, but the earth will keep spinning.
I don’t know if his ethical foul-up was due to something “hollow” deep inside of him, or if he needed to prove a point that stretched far back over the decades, or if he simply wanted bragging rights. However, I do know one thing: it is not a joke.
Maybe he wasn’t a role model to legions of athletes, but it does point out that the opportunity to head down the wrong ethical road – or to choose the right path never leaves us. That is the real point.
Proper ethical behavior is not limited to our workplaces, our Houses of Worship, our friends or even as we compete in sports. Ethical behavior encompasses our lives and enriches our lives. Unethical behavior taints our lives and carries over to anything and everything we attempt.
