TAD Awareness 2019 - A Virtual Walk with Bob Gies

An actual walk with Bob would be a fast one! Like many with BAV/TAD, his entire life has been on the go, pushing to the max, always at high speed!  

Ready for a ride, September 2019
A typical ride is at least 12 miles, sometimes up to 20

He agreed to pause and share this virtual walk with us, where we learn that despite having just celebrated his 75th birthday, Bob is still going strong! Ten years ago, he wasn't sure he would see this day. And if he was still alive, would he still be doing the things he loved?

A Gifted Athlete with a Heart Murmur

Bob remembers hearing doctors talk with his parents when he was very young, talking about his heart murmur. When he was ready for his freshman year of high school, more than anything else, he wanted to play football. A physical was required, and he still remembers what the doctor said to him, "You have a heart murmur, kid. But you're a healthy specimen, you'll be all right!"  Yes, the doctor let him play! Bob remembers thinking that this heart murmur must be something very special. Looking back, he never had any vision of ever having  a serious heart problem, not ever! 

Football in the Fall, Track in the Spring

In addition to high school football, which he played all four years, Bob excelled at track. He was a fast sprinter, winning both the 100 and 220 yard dashes, and also ran the low hurdles.  His junior year, at the state track meet, Bob scored more points than the rest of their team combined. A sprained ankle kept him off the track his senior year.

Somehow, Bob seemed to be just made for football. He says that great runners get all the glory in this game. Fast on the track, Bob was fast on the football field as well, thrilling the crowd each time he broke loose and raced down the field for a touchdown! Pointing out that avoiding being caught and tackled was an extra incentive, Bob says "If I ever got two steps ahead, they could never catch me."

Championship Game 1963

Bob is number 24

In the fall of 1963, his senior year, Bob describes the Huskies as a terrific football team, with lots of good blockers, everyone working together. A newspaper clipping from that time mentions that the backfield - Gies, Koontz, and Becker - was possibly one of the greatest combinations in the history of any Class C school. They were the dream team! What happened that year is well remembered to this day. They went into the final, championship game undefeated. They were also determined to always have the lead, to never fall behind, just as they had done all season! The game started with a kick off to the opposing team, who pushed them back to the 30 yard line. On their first play, Bob broke loose and carried the ball all 70 yards - touch down! That first play set the tone for the entire game. They were ahead from the start, and they stayed ahead, all the way to victory!

Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) Football Record 1963

Athletic Hall of Fame
Honors for Bob
 in 2016

Bob returned to his high school to be named to their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

In 2018, a local paper wrote  about some of the football history for his high school.

There is Bob's name, along with two of his team mates, Koontz and Becker, on the GOAT list.

Bob still holds the record for rushing more than one mile his senior year and scoring 136 points that season. He did that while playing both offense and defense.

Bob on Sheep Mountain
About 30 Years Ago
3.5 hours to ski up,
 a fast 40 minutes back down!

Outdoor Sports After High School

Bob turned to outdoor, individual sports after high school: cross country skiing, biking, fishing, and generally enjoying the outdoors under that big Montana sky! There was no reason to remember that "heart murmur" of his youth!

He felt he was slowing a bit, fatigue and naps entered the picture at around age 60. Read here how his bicuspid aortic valve and aneurysm were discovered and about the surgery that followed. 





September 2019

This September finds Bob still busy in his bountiful garden, which he describes as a lot of work and great exercise!

He maintains his weight within a pound or two of what he was in high school. His step counter averages around 6,000 a day, with a peak of 24,000. Looking at his number during the day motivates him to get busy and do more! And then there are the miles on his bike, the miles on skis. . . .

It is just over 9 years since Bob had his life-saving BAV and aneurysm surgery. His bovine aortic valve and aorta are looking good at the nine year mark!

When asked how life has changed at this age, Bob says he misses pushing his body to the absolute limit, going flat out to the wall . . . his body just won't let him do that anymore!

His lifelong craving for exercise is still there, however. Exercise still makes him feel good!

Thank you, Bob, for sharing your life

on this walk with us,

Inspiring us, 

and

Creating a Climate of Hope,

  ~ Arlys Velebir,  BAF