Nick Akers athletic biography 1960-2008

The life and times of the Commonwealth's most colourful athlete. Nick Akers, who is a British, New Zealand and Canadian citizen, trained and ran in cross-country races with Steve Ovett in Brighton England in the early 1970's. After leaving the Lewes Old Grammar School Nick moved to Dunedin New Zealand and in 1974 was the Invercargill Southland NZ Junior Men's 1500 metre provincial champion. In 1978 Nick ran for the Cayman Islands in the 1978 Commonwealth Games and set national records over the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 metre distances. 30 years later, these records still stand today. Ian Wooldridge of the Daily Mail walked in the opening ceremonies as a member of the Cayman Islands team, which almost led to their expulsion. In 1980 Nick Akers legally changed his name to Nick Vladivar for sponsorship so he could compete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Vladivar is a British brand name of vodka. Smirnoff and Nike refused to sponsor Nick. In any event a collapsed lung, the IOC and the US boycott left Nick sidelined. Nick went on to compete in the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games finishing last in the marathon. In 1988 Nick finished 261st in the New York Marathon. Then, in 1989 and 1991 when it was --28 degrees centigrade Nick broke the Guinness World Record for 1 mile in snowshoes in Edmonton Canada, taking 2 minutes off the old records. His new record was published for ten years without being broken. Nick's athletic involvement served as an inspiration to his younger brother, Chris Akers, the former Chairman and Chief Executive of Leeds United.
Nick has finished writing a musical concept based on the lyrics of over 30 Paul Simon songs. He met Art Garfunkel in Edmonton on September 16, 2007 and shared a copy of his musical, titled The Sounds of Silence, with Art in person. Regrettably, Paul Simon's legal counsel informed Nick in November 2008 that Paul will not license the use of any of his works for this concept, leaving the potential of a musical, that might have eclipsed Mamma Mia, without a soundtrack, just the implied story telling of a plot in the true sounds of silence.

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