Percy Cerutty
| Percy Wells Cerutty | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Percy Wells Cerutty 10 January 1895 Prahran, Victoria |
| Died |
14 August 1975 (aged 80) Portsea, Victoria |
| Occupation | Track and Field coach |
Percy Wells Cerutty (10 January 1895 – 14 August 1975) was one of the world's leading athletics coaches in the 1950s and 1960s.
The eccentric Australian pioneered a home-spun system of 'Stotan' training, embracing a holistic regime of natural diets, hard training in natural surroundings, and mental stimulation.
Cerutty coached Herb Elliott to a series of world record performances, culminating in an Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Rome Games.
Early life
Percy Cerutty was born in Prahran, a suburb of Melbourne, in 1895. He was four years old when his mother left her alcoholic husband and struggled to raise her six surviving children.
In 1907, he left school to help support the family but was considered unfit to serve in World War I. He competed in athletics without distinction, suffering from illness after racing.
In 1939, following a nervous breakdown, Cerutty took leave to re-build his body, adopting a natural diet, studying philosophy and psychology, and resuming running and weightlifting.
After World War II, Cerutty began competing in distance running events, winning the Victorian State Marathon Championship before he retired from the track.[1]
Stotan philosophy
Cerutty's 'Stotan' philosophies were a blend of Stoic and Spartan principles.
He introduced this approach to the athletes he trained at his Portsea, Victoria headquarters. Training would involve running in idyllic scenes, along the beach and up the dunes, mixing poetry and philosophy with athletics training.
Athletes training under Cerutty said "You came here with the object of running more quickly, and achievement in running, but really it was an education in life" and "You got a whole philosophy of life and attitudes" [2]
The new philosophy of life included the following tenets[5]:
- Only consumption of whole wheat bread, as white flour was a poison.
- No consumption of alcohol
- No consumption of cigarettes
- No consumption of water or drink with meals or following for a few hours
- No socializing after midnight
Between 1959 and 1967, Cerutty published six books on his training philosophies.
Cerutty maintained a great rivalry with fellow-coach Franz Stampfl whose Interval Training techniques were disliked by Cerutty.[3]
Herb Elliott
Cerutty's greatest successes came through Herb Elliott. Elliott won two gold medals at the 1958 Empire Games, and set world records at Mile (3:54.5) and 1500 metres (3:36.0) during the year.
At Rome in 1960, the 22 year-old Elliott set a world record to win the Olympic gold medal in the 1500 metres setting another world record of 3:35.6.[4]
Other athletes
Further athletes trained or assisted by Cerutty included:
- John Landy - 1956 Olympic Bronze Medal 1500 metres - World Mile Record
- Betty Cuthbert - 1964 Olympic Gold Medal 400 metres - World 440 yards Record
- Middle-distance runners Dave Stephens and Les Perry
Cerutty also helped cyclist Russell Mockridge and boxer Jimmy Carruthers during their sporting careers.
Retirement
Cerutty gave up coaching athletes in 1969 and continued to live at his beloved Portsea home - CERES.
Described as 'Australia’s most enigmatic, pioneering and controversial athletics coach', he died of motor neurone disease in 1975 in Portsea.[5]
References
- ↑ Australian Dictionary of Biography online - Percy Cerutty
- ↑ George Negus Tonight - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- ↑ Sports Factor - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Ralph Doubell Interview
- ↑ Sports Factor - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Herb Elliott Interview
- ↑ 'Why Die? The Extraordinary Percy Cerutty' - Graem Sims
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