Our 11th year recipient of The Golden Shoe Award started running in high school. Linda Novelli Thompson would get class passes to go the track and run for an hour verses sitting in class. It’s a mystery to us why she never joined the high school track team. May be with a little coaxing she may tell us why. While attending college in Pittsburgh and later in Gainesville, she did start running 5K and 10K races. In 1985 during a 4year stint in Charleston, SC, Linda ran her first half marathon. Then finding herself in Atlanta, Georgia for a couple of years, she ran the Atlanta Half Marathon. June 1989 brought the Thompson’s to Merritt Island. It took her until November 1995 to discover the marathon and the realization that she was not meant for speed, she was meant for duration. Linda entered the Space Coast Marathon as a training run getting ready for Disney in January, and planned to drop out at 20 miles. At 20 miles she was feeling good and decided to finish her first marathon.   

Wherever the Thompson’s moved, Linda found a running club to join. She joined the Space Coast Runners Club in July 1989 and ran her first race in July, the Bargain Beach , 10K. I distinctly remember meeting Linda at her first SCR meeting she attended in June 1997. I guess Linda enjoyed the meeting since she was back the next month and the next, July and August. From February through July 1997, I found myself doing the club minutes since George Revels, Secretary, was having problems making our monthly meeting due to work commitments. I know these dates since I still have those minutes in my computer. In August I asked Linda if she wouldn’t mind taking over as Secretary. She stated she really didn’t have the time but as long as she was at the meeting she would take the notes and I would type them up.

Well, she took the notes and decided to type them up and hasn’t stopped yet. She officially became the SCR Secretary in May 1998. In addition to her secretarial responsibilities, Linda, along with Ken Winn, directed the inaugural and the following two and is planning the fourth SCR Family Everybody Wins 2 Mile Fun Run. She directed the first two Tooth Trot 5K’s that benefited the Brevard County Dental Association. The Tooth Trot was voted in as an SCR Runner of the Year Series event after its inaugural year. She was also the race director of the very successful inaugural Pumpkins In The Park 5K that benefited the Junior League of Central and North Brevard.   

Linda has taken a lead role in planning and improving the SCR Marathon for the last two years and is presently supporting the 2001 marathon. She developed the applications, coordinating a host motel, getting race packet goodies, etc. Prior to moving the SCR Awards ceremony to the Butlers, Linda coordinated the food and ticket sales for the past three years. We also find Linda behind the scenes as a race day volunteer. Linda continually volunteers to help with many of the day to day activities of the club.

For example, when the board realized that we did not notify the 2000/2001, forty plus race directors of the Annual Best Race T-shirt A ward, Linda volunteered to phone each race director and remind them to bring their race t-shirt to the Awards Ceremony, printed out certificates for the SCR Board members, etc. Linda has recently been certified as a SCR Finish Line Timer and has successfully coordinated her first finish line at this years Pineapple 10K. In honor of her daughter Sammi Jo who has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Linda raised several thousand dollars for Joints-In-Motion, far exceeding expectations, while training and running the Honolulu Marathon. She went beyond what was required of her too raise. She is planning on doing the same for the Leukemia Society, Team In Training in honor of another family member. We can take up another page listing everything Linda has been doing for the SCR Club and its members over the last few years, but as you can see, it has been substantial.   

Being the mother of two young girls is Linda’s number one job. Her number 2 job is volunteering. Although Linda is not being recognized for her work outside of the SCR Club, it is note worthy that, in addition to her SCR work, Linda is and has been a volunteer and board member for several other organizations in Brevard County. This includes the Junior League of Central and North Brevard, The Alliance of the Brevard County Dental Society, Holy Name of Jesus School and Church, and the Alliance of Florida and American Dental Association.   

I would like to make two points in closing. First, Linda, who considers her hobbies running, sewing and reading, often asks the rhetorical question, “Do you notice any team sports in my hobbies?”  Well, I hate to burst her bubble, but yes, thankfully we do see a team sport in her hobbies and it is called Volunteering. Second, some credit has to go to Linda’s husband Craig. It doesn’t matter what, when or where Linda volunteers, but when she does, you get two for the price of one. Craig is always there supporting Linda. It doesn’t matter if it is support of a remote marathon such as Brookings, South Dakota, accompanying Linda to SCR meetings, or volunteering at races that Linda is supporting or running. Craig is there, and we certainly appreciate Linda bringing him along.   

Linda has and continues to do a lot for the Space Coast Runners Club and community. If for some reason Linda were to quit supporting us, we would need two or three of us to replace her. I know, we as a club, appreciate her hard work, but individual thanks means a lot also. So, the next time you see Linda please tell her how much you appreciate her efforts. For the reasons stated above and for the many things not mentioned, we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Linda Thompson and present her with the 2001 GOLDEN SHOE AWARD.

Prepared by Marty Winkel