By Julius Whigham II
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
For more than a decade, Gary and Jane Townsend have spent many weekends traveling throughout the state.
Regardless of their destination, the scenery is the same: the inside of a gym or arena and hundreds of kids and adults wrestling on mats.
But the Lake Worth couple wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
For the past 14 years, the Townsends have been volunteering at wrestling events and helping the sport grow in Florida.
Gary, 62, has served in a number of administrative roles, including as state chairman of the Florida Amateur Wrestling Association, director of the Sunshine State Games wrestling competition and director of the Sunshine Open, an annual tournament that attracts high school and college-age wrestlers from throughout the country.
Jane, 57, served for a couple of years as secretary of the FAWA, and has helped her husband organize events.
“For a period of about six to eight years, every weekend we were in gyms all over the state doing amateur events, “Gary said. “We’ve been doing this since the beginning together.”
During the past few years, though, the couple have been turning over duties to other members in the FAWA.
Gary recently bought a boat and wants to do more fishing and play more golf. He also started a steel-fabricating business three years ago.
Gary said they became interested in the sport when their son Ryan wrestled at Santaluces High School in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
After Ryan graduated in 1992, Gary said he and Jane wanted an activity in which they could volunteer to help kids. At the time, there were only a handful of Palm Beach County high schools producing state champion-caliber wrestlers, Gary said. He and Jane helped start the Lantana Wrestling Club – now the Palm Beach Wrestling Club – to give wrestlers a place to train and compete year-round.
“We felt a need to increase the (number) of state champions and the quality of wrestling in Palm Beach County, “Gary said.
In 1992, the Sunshine State Games came to Palm Beach County and the Townsends volunteered to host the wrestling competition. Gary continued to serve as the Sunshine State Games’ wrestling tournament director until this past summer, when he stepped down.
A former football and track athlete at Fort Lauderdale’s Stranahan High School, Gary said the thing he has enjoyed most about wrestling is watching young athletes grow into state and national champions.
“I’ve watched them start out at 4 years old and grow up to become state champions and national champions. We’re proud of the fact that we had a very small part we could contribute to helping them get to that point. There’s a lot of people involved in that. It’s a group effort. ”
Jane said she has enjoyed working with other volunteers.
“I’ve enjoyed the difference it’s made in young people’s lives.”
The Townsends want to remain involved in wrestling, but not as heavily.
“I’m getting a little older and slowing down and we do a lot more (personal) traveling now, “said Gary.
The Townsends were among the founders of the Florida chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The state chapter, which was started in 2000, recognizes coaches, officials and others who have influenced the sport. Gary is the president of the chapter and Jane is the secretary-treasurer.
Gary said he is glad to recognize the efforts of many who had gone unrecognized for many years.
“A lot of these guys have 30 and 40 years in wrestling, “he said. “Other than watching the kids grow up, it’s probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”
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