Doug Shaggy Smith

Rio still plans to host the Pan-American Masters Games (open to the world) in September. Buena suerte.

International March 25, 2020

Pan-American Masters Games in Rio unfazed by virus news, still on track for September

Masters athletes with a taste for danger are in luck! They can still compete on a world stage this year — at the Pan-American Masters Games in Rio de Janeiro. The track meet is Sept. 4-13 at the University of the Air Force in Rio (Universidade da Força Aérea). And the price for joining “between 10 and 20 thousand sportspeople” in “24 sports! 49 disciplines! 25 venues!”? “The registration fee is US$ 205, for foreigners. Each registration gives the participant the right to take part in two sports and five competitions in each one of them,” says the site, which…

International September 19, 2018

Shooting stars made Malaga magical: Photos by Tom, Rob, Dave, Alex and ‘Shaggy’

Four years ago, Jim Ryun came to San Diego and I was over-the-moon. Not from seeing the mile legend (I’d interviewed him a half-dozen times since the mid-1970s). I was ecstatic to meet Rich Clarkson — a fellow KU alumnus who photographed Jim since high school and became the National Geographic’s photo editor for a while. I also have schmoozed with Pulitzer Prize winning shooter Don Bartletti, who retired a few years ago from the Los Angeles Times. So who were my heroes at Malaga? You betcha — the lensmen and woman (Alex Rotas) whose work I’ve been envying the…

Doug says doctor told him he has heart of an 18-year-old

International May 18, 2018

Toronto’s Doug Smith shares great news: He’s the picture of health

Doug “Shaggy” Smith of Ontario – the dreadlocked vegan photographer and steeplechasing M65 meet director of 2020 Toronto worlds — gave his 1,400 Facebook friends a mighty scare on April 6. He wrote: “Not feeling well lately — many of the symptoms of a slow-burn heart attack.” He refused an ambulance but got to the ER. Initial tests were OK, except for high blood pressure. Over the next five weeks, Doug shared updates on various tests, all with his trademark sense of humor. On Thursday, we finally got a chance to exhale. He posted: “Great news from the cardiologist today…….