Meet Your Neighbor… Jeff GantzBy DONNA NICKEL
Born in Johnstown, PA, Jeff and his younger sister grew up in Cardington, OH. “a tiny, little one stoplight town” in central Ohio. His father was a schoolteacher and his mother worked as a beautician. Jeff tried several different sports before finding his way to running. “In junior high I played football, but I wasn’t big enough. I played basketball, but I wasn’t skilled enough.” Then in eighth grade he found his nitch on the track team. In high school, he started running cross-country. “We didn’t have a good team. At meets, we’d hope five would show up so we could actually have enough to score.” The turning point in his running career came when he spent a year of high school as an exchange student in Australia. “I met up with some serious runners there. They taught me what I needed to do to train. It was really the first time I ran with others and it really clicked for me.” In 2006, Jeff returned to Australia. “It was great seeing people 30 years later. I was able to hook up with the guys who were my biggest influences in running. Now I’m trying to convince them to visit me here.” Jeff chose Malone College largely because of the reputation of head cross-country coach Jack Hazen. Being part of the college team was a positive experience for Jeff. “It was one of the few times in my life I was with others who were as enthusiastic and dedicated to running as me. We spurred each other on, there was really a spirit of competition.” Jeff was named All American four times for cross country and once for indoor track, giving him the honor of being the first four-time All American in Malone’s history. Jeff met his wife Beth at a First Friends Church single’s bible group. Beth is a teacher for Canton City Schools and the couple’s only child Justin is currently a sophomore at Kent State. After graduating with a degree in business/accounting, Jeff worked for over three years as a staff accountant at Belden & Blake before joining Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) the world’s largest payroll processor, as a corporate trainer. With 14 years as a classroom instructor under his belt, Jeff, now a Learning Specialist III, has spent the past five years working from home as a virtual trainer. He also teaches a human resource development class at Indiana Wesleyan University’s NE Ohio branch. “I like it when they finally get it. You can see it when the light bulb goes on; there’s a sense of accomplishment.” Five years ago, Hoover cross-country coach Travis Ackerman approached Jeff about starting a sixth grade running club. “Our first year we had about 15 kids. The past two years, we’ve had about 50 kids. I never expected that it would grow so much. My hope is that they have fun and gain an appreciation and interest in running.” He said the club has also become a good feeder program for the NCMS cross-country team. “I like working with kids and I don’t know why, but I really like that age group. It’s also a way to give back; to share my gift.” He and his wife also work with a youth group at First Friend’s Church. For the fifth summer, the couple will lead a group on a mission trip to Philippi, WV to repair and rebuild homes. “On some of these places, we’re basically putting a band-aid on the problem, but the appreciation from the people is really something.” The Gantz family also enjoys camping in their pop-up camper and a father/son group trip to the Adirondack Mountains is in the works for this summer. Training is still a part of Jeff’s daily routine. He runs mostly on his own, but also with North Canton resident Chip Wilson once a week, swims at the North Canton YMCA twice a week, and enjoys bicycling. After completing two 2006 triathlons, Jeff hopes to participate in at least one triathlon this summer. This month, Jeff is involved in organizing the first race of the 2008 Subway Challenge Series, the Young Life Valentine 5K on March 8 at Malone University. It’s no surprise that Jeff’s passion for running and his strong sense of faith are what guide him through life. He looks to the Bible for words to live by: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 |
