thirty-nine memories (9)

Memory #9: Personal Best

During the two summers I worked the most intensely on writing my dissertation, I would often take breaks from the pain and strain of composition–writing a coherent sentence is always a pain for me–to go out to my driveway and shoot free throws. I shot a lot of free throws those two summers.

I like to keep track, but percentages don’t excite me. Strings do.

On June 25, 2006, I got hot and made 125 free throws in a row. The most I had ever made in a row at any point in my life prior to this was 66. I thought 125 was pretty good. I knew it was nothing like a world record or anything, because of course someone would have made three or four or even five hundred at some point.

So I looked it up.

On April 26, 1996, dairy farmer Ted St. Martin made 5,221 free throws in a row, breaking his own world record, something he had repeatedly done (that is, break his own world records) since 1972.

I find some consolation in the knowledge that the world record in 1971 was 499 free throws in a row, a record held by Harold “Bunny” Levitt, who won a YMCA free throw shooting contest shooting underhanded in April of 1935. 499 is at least in the neighborhood of 125, and I had to go chase the ball myself after each shot.

But it’s not even in the same galaxy as 5,221.

Back to the line, I guess.