Howard Healey

Howard Healey, Howie to his mates, was one of several family combinations in the New Zealand track and field team at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.

Healey and his twin brother Nathan, born in March 1949, were the only set of twins in the team. But there was also a mother (Colleen Mills) and her son and daughter (Phillip and Donna), a husband and wife (Mene and Sally Mene) and a future husband and wife (Grant Anderson and Sue Burnside). But for the whims of the selectors, there could have been further family combinations in Christchurch.

The Healey boys, originally from Gisborne, joined the Scottish Harriers club in Wellington when they were in their early teens.

They were both free spirits. They grew their hair very long, even for the early 1970s, and always seemed to be enjoying themselves. When they ran at the Games in Christchurch, they certainly captured the attention of the crowd.

However, they were also serious athletes. Both specialised in the 3000m steeplechase and built up their strength and stamina by running throughout the winters for Scottish Harriers in the various road races and cross-country events around Wellington. They worked for a time on the Wellington garbage trucks, which they would have regarded as further strength and endurance training.

At Christchurch, Nathan finished 10th in the steeplechase in 8min 52.2s. Howard was a click of the fingers behind, claiming 11th place in 8min 52.4s.

Howard made the New Zealand team for the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth Games, where he ran particularly well. He was 4th in his heat in 8min 48.37s and in the final his time of 8min 43.75s earned him 5th.

The Healeys also tackled the world cross-country championships. In Belgium in 1973, Nathan finished 54th and Howard 130th and they helped the New Zealand team to secure 3rd place. Howard ran in two further cross-country world champs. In 1977 in Dusseldorf, his 39th placing helped the New Zealand team to 5th. In 1979 in Limerick, Healy finished a respectable 58th and the New Zealand team 13th.

Nathan won the New Zealand steeplechase title in 1971, 1972 and 1975. Howard won the title in 1974, the season the national championships were held in December as a pre-Games trial before Christchurch.

Nathan’s best time for the steeplechase was the 8min 43.2s he ran in Auckland in 1973, which half a century later placed him 19th on the New Zealand all-time lists. Howard ran his best time in Christchurch in 1979 with 8min 37.14s, still 12th on that all-time list.

The Healeys moved from Wellington to Auckland, and ran for the Lynndale, Otahuhu and Onehunga clubs. Howard benefited from running with and being trained by former Arthur Lydiard star Bill Baillie.

Howard died in 2017, aged 68, after battling Parkinson's disease for 25 years. Late in the piece he was also diagnosed with lymphoma.