Olympic Wrestler Succumbs to Rare Cancer

Press Release Source: Toastmasters International on behalf of the McCann family

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060608/lath039.html?.v=61

Thursday June 8, 10:15 am ET

DANA POINT, Calif., June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Terrence J. McCann, an Olympic Gold Medal winner in freestyle wrestling and a leader in the sport of wrestling, died June 7 in his home in Dana Point, California. McCann helped found a new national governing body for the sport, the United States Wrestling Federation (now called USA Wrestling) and is credited with the United States' increasing involvement in the international wrestling scene. He spent four years as president of USA Wrestling and six years on the board of FILA, the international governing body of wrestling. In addition, he served for many years in various capacities on the United States Olympic Committee.

"Terry was a tremendous wrestler as well as a leader within wrestling and the Olympic family," said Jim Scherr, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs. "His tenure as president (of USA Wrestling) marked a time of significant progress for the sport. He was a well-respected leader within the Olympic family and rose to the top of the USOC. He was noted for his honesty and passion for the National Governing Bodies and the athletes. He hired me to serve as executive director of USA Wrestling in 1990. I am proud to call him a mentor and a friend. I would not have the opportunity to serve in my present capacity were it not for Terry."

It is ironic that the job that funded his dreams of winning a Gold Medal in wrestling is said to have caused his asbestos-related cancer. McCann, of Dana Point, California, won the 1960 Gold Medal after working at an oil refinery in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the late 1950s while training for the Olympics. In April 2005, McCann was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Shortly after the diagnosis, he joined a class action lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers and became a spokesman against a proposal before Congress to impose limits on litigation against those companies. He appeared recently in a national television commercial denouncing the proposal.

McCann's legacy in the sport of wrestling almost didn't happen. The day of the 1960 Olympic trials, he nearly missed competing because of illness and a debilitating knee injury. Against all odds, he won the test and went on to score a dramatic Olympic victory in Rome. After his heady accomplishment, McCann said he learned a lesson about success -- "That it is a journey, and that having arrived at a high point guarantees nothing about the rest of the trip."

A fellow Olympic wrestler and coach, Werner Holzer, calls McCann "the greatest of them all."

"During my 50 years in the sport of wrestling, as an athlete, coach and administrator, I have seen all the great wrestlers," Holzer says. "Some of them had great technique, others were incredibly tenacious and had great endurance; some had tremendous strength, still others had catlike speed, agility and balance. Terry had it all; he was the most complete wrestler, the one who excelled the most in every aspect of the sport."

"Although his stature was small, his attitude, confidence, courage and leadership while representing the sport both nationally and internationally was that of a giant," recalls Lee Roy Smith, a 1983 World Silver Medalist who coached for Arizona State University and the U.S. National Freestyle Team and is now executive director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. "He always felt it was important for anyone involved in the sport to conduct himself in an ethical and sportsmanlike way, yet no one wanted to win more than he did."

McCann took great delight in helping young wrestlers. He was a volunteer coach of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Minnesota Wrestling Club and later of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the Mayor Daley Youth Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, where McCann was born and grew up. Under his direction the Youth Foundation won six consecutive freestyle national championships and five Greco-Roman national championships. He also coached contenders in World, Pan-American and Olympic games, with six of the wrestlers earning top medals.

"We often spoke about training and coaching philosophies and what types of strategies and techniques each of our U.S. wrestlers needed to defeat a particular opponent," says Smith. "The record book shows that during his tenure as president of USA Wrestling and as a member of FILA Bureau, the U.S. Freestyle Team experienced one of its most successful eras in world competition."

Russ Hellickson, a 1976 Olympic Silver Medalist in wrestling, an NBC Olympic wrestling commentator and wrestling coach at Ohio State University since 1986, credits McCann for his success. "My continued involvement in wrestling is a direct result of the encouragements and teachings of Terry McCann," he wrote in a letter supporting McCann's nomination to the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1977. "He served as the wrestling coach of the Mayor Daley Youth Foundation during my early years of international competition. Without his urgings and confidence, I am certain that I would not have continued to compete in wrestling."

After his Olympic victory McCann worked for various associations. In 1975 he was named executive director of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Southern California that helps people develop their communication and leadership skills. After retiring in 2001, he served for two years as executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA), the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. An avid surfer, McCann was active in Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group, serving as the Foundation's president from 1993 to 1997.

McCann is survived by his wife of 52 years, Lucille; seven children; 18 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother and two sisters.
 

 At The End, It Was Still About Surfing

Athlete with asbestos-related cancer became spokesman in lawsuit against asbestos makers.

Press Release Source:

Thursday, June 8, 2006
By ROBIN HINCH
The Orange County Register

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/obituaries/article_1173552.php

Olympic gold medalist Terry McCann of Dana Point died Wednesday of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

He was 72, and despite the long and painful treatments he endured, his main complaint toward the end of his life was that he couldn't

Terry grew up in a rough area of Chicago where wrestling was more a means of survival than a sport. He was 12 when he entered the Board of Education Playground Championship where he won his first competition.

At a candy store one day, he saw a magazine cover about Olympic wrestler Ollie Morrison and decided he wanted to wrestle in the Olympics.

While earning a business degree from the University of Iowa and a master's degree from Loyola University in Chicago, Terry continued to pin opponents to the mat and work his way to Olympic competition.

He married his wife, Lucille, in 1953 and from 1957 to 1958 worked at an Oklahoma oil refinery while training for the Olympics, totally unaware that the asbestos dust drifting through the air each day was coating his lungs and would one day claim his life.

At the 1960 games in Rome he won the gold medal in wrestling – in the 125.5-pound weight class – by pinning his undefeated Russian opponent in 18 seconds.

After his victory, he was asked to give a lot of speeches, but felt he wasn't good at it. A friend suggested he join a local Toastmasters club, where he quickly improved.

In 1975, his growing family moved to Dana Point and he became executive director of the Rancho Santa Margarita-based Toastmasters International, which he led for 26 years.

He also took up surfing and did extensive volunteer work.

He worked for the U.S. Olympic Committee and the sport of wrestling, serving as volunteer coach to many top medalists. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1977.

He also helped found the United States Wrestling Federation, now called USA Wrestling, and served as its president.

Other volunteer efforts included serving as president of the Surfrider Foundation and executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, the trade association of more than 300 surf-industry suppliers.

And of course, he coached his own children in wrestling and hosted many visiting competitors.

The McCann house was open to everyone and anyone, and was rarely without a visitor or two or three.

When asked if Terry was outgoing, his wife, Lucille, and son Terry Jr. shouted, "Outgoing?" and started to laugh.

"He loved to have people around," son Terry said. "He just wanted to take care of people."

After being diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer in April 2005, Terry joined a class-action lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers, which is still in litigation.

He also became a spokesman against a proposal before Congress to impose limits on lawsuits against those companies.

He appeared recently in a national television commercial denouncing the proposal.

Terry is survived by his wife, Lucille; children, Rose, Deirdre, Colleen, Terry Jr., Sean, Bridgid, Denise; brother, Francis; sisters, Patricia, Sheila; 18 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.

Rosary is at 7 o'clock tonight, with services at 10 a.m. Friday, St. Edwards Church, Dana Point. Arrangements by O'Connor Laguna Hills Mortuary.

The family requests donations to Kids Konnected, 27071 Cabot Road, Suite 102, Laguna Hills CA 92653.
 

  Terry McCann, 72; Olympic Gold Winner Headed Toastmasters

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-passings8.2jun08,1,2980519.story

June 8, 2006

Terry McCann, 72, who won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1960 Rome Olympics, died Wednesday of mesothelioma, a rare cancer linked to asbestos exposure, U.S. States Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr said.

McCann, of Dana Point later became executive director of Toastmasters International, a Rancho Santa Margarita nonprofit organization that trains its members in public speaking

While training for the Olympics, McCann worked at an oil refinery in Tulsa, Okla., where he came in contact with asbestos. Last year, he joined a class-action lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers.

McCann started wrestling as a youth in Chicago and went on to the University of Iowa, where he lost only three matches in three years and twice was national champion.

After the Olympics, he helped create the U.S. Wrestling Federation, which became U.S. Wrestling, the national amateur governing body.

An avid surfer, McCann was president of the Surfrider Foundation from 1993 to 1997.
 

  Terry McCann, Former SIMA Executive Director, Passes

http://surfingthemag.com/news/surfing-pulse/terry-mccann-passes-060806/

Terry McCann, former fearless leader, great friend, mentor and fellow surfer, passed away yesterday morning, June 7th, at 3:30 a.m.

A 46-year association veteran, Terry J. McCann joined the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) in September 2001, where he served as executive director through 2003. McCann was sought by the SIMA Board of Directors because of his extensive trade association experience and passion for surfing. A former two-time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, McCann brought with him a strong background in leadership and goal-oriented determination.

Terry McCann was honored at last years Waterman's Ball for his work with SIMA.

Before coming to SIMA, McCann served as executive director of Toastmasters International for 26 years until his retirement from the organization in August 2001. Under his leadership, Toastmasters experienced the greatest growth in the organization’s 75-year history, expanding to 8,000 clubs and more than 180,000 members worldwide. In addition to Toastmasters International, McCann’s association background includes a stint as assistant executive administrator and chief financial officer for Lions International, the world’s largest service organization, and as director of education and communications director of the Super Market Institute, the leading trade association in the food distribution industry.

McCann’s wrestling career includes two NCAA championships while at Iowa University, three National AAU championships and an Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Rome games that completed his days in competitive wrestling. He went on to serve as a volunteer coach for many years, yielding as many as fifteen U.S. contenders on teams for the World and Pan-American Championships and Olympic Games and was one of the principal founders of the U.S. Wrestling Federation (now USA Wrestling), the national governing body of the sport. He also served on the board of directors and executive committee of the United States Olympic Committee and as vice president of the international federation. In 1977 he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

A dedicated husband, father of seven grown children and grandfather of 18, McCann and his wife live in Dana Point, Calif. where surfing now dominates his life. He began surfing more than 26 years ago and is the former head of the Monarch Bay Outrigger Canoe Club. McCann continues to surf daily and is a dawn-patrol regular at the Point at San Onofre where he is affectionately referred to as “The Wave Slut” by the crew.

While the exact time of the service has not been finalized, Terry's funeral will be held this Friday morning (at either 9 a.m. or 10 a.m.), June 9 at St. Edward's in Dana Point.
 

 UI Wrestling's First Olympian Dies at 72

Thursday, June 8, 2006

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060608/HAWKS0110/606080327/1053/RSS02

By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen

The first Olympic champion in Iowa wrestling history finally encountered an opponent he couldn't conquer.

Terry McCann, who won two NCAA titles for the Hawkeyes and captured gold at the 1960 Olympics, died Wednesday after a bout with mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. He was 72.

"Terry was an outstanding person, an outstanding wrestler," said former Hawkeye Ken Leuer, who joined McCann in 1956 to become the first Iowa tandem to win NCAA titles in the same season. "He's an icon, a legend."

McCann grew up in Chicago and selected Iowa after the Hawkeyes hired coach David McCuskey from Iowa Teachers College in 1953. The following spring, McCann placed third at the NCAA meet at 115 pounds before winning national titles in each of the next two seasons despite chronic knee injuries.

McCann battled through knee problems and other obstacles on his way to winning gold at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He nearly missed the Olympic Trials because of illness and a knee injury.

When he got to Rome, he lost a bout early in the tournament and needed to pin an opponent from Russia to reach the medal rounds. McCann recorded the fall and went on to Olympic glory.

"Good wrestlers are never healthy," Leuer said. "They're always carrying one or two injuries, and the name of the game is wrestling through the hurt. Terry had a lot of knee problems and won the Olympics with a knee that was all torn apart."

Ironically, McCann believed the job that funded his Olympic dream also contributed to his death. While training for the Olympics, he worked at an oil refinery in Tulsa, Okla., where McCann claimed he was exposed to asbestos.

He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in April 2005. Shortly after the diagnosis, McCann joined a class action lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers and became a spokesman against a proposal before Congress to impose limits on litigations against those companies.

McCann's impact on United States wrestling stretched beyond his career as an athlete. He helped found the sport's national governing body, which is now known as USA Wrestling.

"Terry was a tremendous wrestler as well as a leader within wrestling and the Olympic family," U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Jim Scherr said. "His tenure as president (of USA Wrestling) marked a time of significant progress for the sport. He was a well-respected leader within the Olympic family and rose to the top of the USOC."

In 1975, McCann was named the executive director of Toastmasters International, a non-profit organization in Southern California designed to help people develop communication and leadership skills. The California coast also drove his passion for surfing.

But McCann will be remembered by some for his speeches. Leuer recalled the time in 1996 when he invited McCann to speak to his Rotary Club in Columbus, Ga. McCann's speech titled "The Price of Gold" told his Olympic story and stoked emotions during the time the state was preparing for the Atlanta Games.

"One of the things I remember about the speech was (McCann saying), 'The price of gold is not what's on the market; it's far more costly because it comes from the heart and from the spirit. To win gold, you've got to give a lot more than just buying gold,'" Leuer said.

"He got a standing ovation that rocked the rafters. He had people with tears in their eyes."

Reach Andy Hamilton at 339-7368 or ahamilton@press-citizen.com.
 

 "They don't make them like that anymore."

Well, sir, I have just learned the news. In spite of the nature of his illness, I am still in shock- he is one of those great people whom we cannot imagine dying. Terry McCann was my personal sports hero for almost 46 years. I feel like I have lost my father. I want you to know Mr. Worthington how much I appreciate all you did for Terry in the last year of his life. Also, it was through your computer site that I first learned the news of his illness- for that alone I shall always be grateful to you.

With my sincere best wishes,
Dennis Damm
Edgewater Park, New Jersey
 

 "Terry was the greatest coach I ever met."

Great article about Terry McCann. Terry coached my brother and I in Chicago on the Mayor Daley Team. Terry was the greatest coach I ever meet. This is a sad time for us. Thank you for letting more people know about Terry McCann.

Sincerely,

Bruce Bugajski, M.Ed.